Less-than-famous five tied for top at Vegas
After the first round of the inelegantly titled Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, there's a five-way split at the top of the leaderboard - and nary a big name in sight.
With the Fall Series offering faltering players a few last chances to retain their tour cards for the next season, this Las Vegas tournament could yet bail a few players out. Of current leaders Robert Garrigus, Will MacKenzie, Michael Letzig, Cameron Tringale and Australian John Senden, all on seven-under-par 64, only Senden has already done enough to ensure he'll have a tour card next year.
Letzig had the most remarkable round of the leaders. Starting on the back nine, the 30-year-old American shot five birdies along with bogeys on the 1st and 3rd - and a pair of eagles, one of them coming on Letzig's final hole.
In the group a stroke behind the leaders were George McNeill, Nicholas Thompson, Ryan Palmer, Vaughn Taylor and Martin Flores, all of whom opened with 65s. Of the European players in action, Brian Davis had the best showing on four-under, with Scotland's Martin Laird two-under.
In truth, TPC Summerlin is not one of the most demanding courses on the PGA Tour, and only 25 players of the 132 man field failed to break par. Of the better known players taking part, the long suffering John Daly was only two shots off the lead on five-under, as was Davis Love III, the 1997 PGA Championship winner eagling the 9th.
Ryder Cup loser Hunter Mahan, last spotted tearing up at a press conference after Europe's victory, completed his round on four-under, while his Ryder teammate Rickie Fowler was three-under. Starting on the back nine, the 21-year-old put together a run of five birdies and a double bogey in his first nine holes, only to hit nothing but pars after the turn.
Rocco Mediate enjoyed an astonishing showing last week at the Frys.com Open, shooting eagles during all four rounds of the competition on his way to an unpredictable victory, but Mediate was in more subdued form yesterday. The 47-year-old, whose performance last week was enough to retain his tour card for the next two years, could only finish on level par yesterday after a mixed bag of four birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey on the 5th.
And Webb Simpson, still fighting for a spot in the top 125 players on the money list and so the guarantee of a tour card next year, hit the shot of the day yesterday. Simpson aced the par three 8th, eventually finishing five-under for the tournament.
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