Mark Calcavecchia, Nick Price, Keegan Bradley, and Brendan Steele leading Franklin Templeton Shootout
Veterans from Champions Tour, Mark Calcavecchia and Nick Price are now leading the Franklin Templeton Shootout after the first round alongside Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele after a stellar nine-under, 63 on the opening day. Price managed to surge to
the top of the leaderboard after a blistering Hole-in-One at the 12th and went over to card a 30-footer birdie on the culminating hole. This is the first time Price has managed to pull in an Ace after 1997 NEC World Series of Golf and is also the
second Ace of the tournament’s history.
"What can you say when you make a hole-in-one?," Price said. "We go from 4 to 6 under, and now we're really looking at shooting a decent score today or a low score. It just got better and better."
Bradley at 25 and Steele at 28, pulled in a strong performance at the closing holes after the duo were able to card a score of one-under through the front nine. Rookie Bradley, the PGA Championship winner, is hoping to pull in another title which is worth
a staggering $3-million.
"It was a big putt," Bradley said referring to the 30-feet putt off the green. "And the thing that was unbelievable was my putt was going to go by six or seven feet. It was cooking. So next thing you know, it turns into a double -- 6 or 7, who knows? But
that's the beautiful part -- it went in."
Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker, winners of the 2009 episode of the event are one shot down the leaderboard while Rickie Fowler and Camilo Villegas are further down trailing the leaders by two shots. The event comprises of 12 two-player teams which are locked
in a thrilling shoot-out format of the game and will head into the better ball format on Saturday, December 10.
Bradley and Steele will prove to be a formidable challenge to the weathered Champions Tour duo Price and Calcavecchia. Bradley is in top form after winning the PGA Championship and the PGA Grand Slam in Bermuda, taking over some of the finest players of
the sport. Jason Dufner & Sean O’Hair are poised at fifth with six-under.
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