Camilo Villegas shot a tournament record-equalling 62 to lead by one stroke at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Arizona yesterday.
The 28-year-old Columbian's first-round score of nine-under is Villegas' lowest round on the PGA Tour, but even that flawless performance - no bogeys and nine birdies, including a birdie chip on the last hole - didn't put much daylight between him and the second-placed Matt Every on eight-under.
It might be his rookie season, but Every was inspired yesterday, shooting a total of eight birdies including a streak of six starting on the 17th (the player having begun play on the back nine). Every was coming back from a tough week, having been disqualified from last week's Mayakoba Classic in Mexico when he accidentally signed the wrong score card.
Still, it was Villegas who shot the best score of the day, and the player was in a buoyant mood. "Obviously a pretty fun day," he said. "Any time you don't make bogeys, your lunch tastes good. And the chip-in there on the last hole makes lunch taste even better. It was good. Great day. I drove the ball very nice."
Alongside Japan's Ryuji Imada and US rookie Rickie Fowler, England's Justin Rose took a share of third place. The Englishman is yet to win on the PGA Tour, but he carded eight birdies as well as a couple of bogeys yesterday for an encouraging start.
The same couldn't be said of another Englishman, Ian Poulter, who triumphed at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship last week. Poulter overcame fellow Briton Paul Casey to win on Sunday and rise to No. 5 in the world rankings, but he looked out of sorts here on Thursday. Three bogeys meant that at one stage the 34-year-old found himself three over par, before a rally of sorts with birdies on the 15th and 17th meant he eventually came home one-over-72.
Phil Mickelson finished three-under-68 to take a share of 29th place, along with reigning champion Kenny Perry, amongst others. Mickelson is a local favourite but though he surely has the ability to catch up with the leaders, his slow starts so far this season would suggest a third career win at Scottsdale this year is a long shot. Maybe the notoriously rowdy crowd can spur the 39-year-old onto greatness over the next few days.
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