Solid play puts veteran Watson out front in Henrico County  PGA TOUR Staff GLEN ALLEN, Va. -- PGA TOUR and Champions Tour veteran Denis Watson recorded a 5-under 67 to take the lead after the first round of the Nationwide Tour's Henrico County Open.  Denis Watson is looking for a Nationwide Tour win to go with his three PGA TOUR victories. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/WireImage)
The 51-year-old native of Salisbury, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) posted a bogey-free round -- with his five birdies coming at Nos. 4, 10, 12, 14 and 17 -- to take a one-stroke advantage over local favorite Jay Woodson, Chris Smith, Jeff Overton and Keith Nolan. "It was a very good round," said Watson, who rolled in a 25-footer on the par-3 17th hole to highlight his day. "I putted great and played solid. You can't shoot 5 under without putting well." The three-time PGA TOUR winner has had a rollercoaster ride since officially joining the Champions Tour in late October of 2005. Shoulder surgery early last season limited his schedule to just three starts, all coming in October. "It was rehab, rehab, rehab ... and it was grueling," said Watson. "I didn't know if I'd be able to play (again) at all. I started playing golf again last summer with my wife ... and it wasn't pretty. But I've spent some time with David Leadbetter since then and things are starting to get better." That success is showing this season on the Champions Tour. He began the season with a runner-up showing at the Turtle Bay Championship -- one of four top-20 finishes in five starts. And while disappointed in only playing in five of 10 tournaments on Tour in 2007, Watson seems to be enjoying testing his skills for the second straight week against professionals from the Nationwide Tour. "I'm a little frustrated at not getting in more of the Champions Tour events, but at the same time I'm just so happy to be playing golf again," said Watson. "I haven't seen a bad swing since I've been out here." Watson played on the PGA TOUR on a regular basis from 1981-1994, and has accumulated a total of 295 career starts and 139 made cuts. His three victories came during the 1984 season at the Buick Open, NEC World Series of Golf and the Las Vegas Invitational, but starts have been few and far between since. This week represents just his 30th start on all three Tours since the 1995 season. "I'm just happy to be playing golf again after 12 to 14 years," said Watson. "Golf is fun ... especially when you're playing well." Woodson, a former Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year while starring for James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., moved within one of Watson's lead thanks to matching 2-under 34s, including a six-hole stretch that included five birdies (Nos. 18, 1, 2, 4 and 5). "I rolled the ball good today," said the 25-year-old Woodson, who needed just 27 putts. "I gave myself as many birdie possibilities as possible. It was a great round but there is a lot of work left to do." Woodson is a native and resident of Powhatan, Va. -- just a short 20-minute drive away from The Dominion Club. That proximity could be a key factor in finding similar success on the Nationwide Tour as he has had on the NGA Hooters Tour since turning pro in 2004 -- which includes one win and several top-5 finishes. "It is never a bad thing to be a hometown guy and have family and friends cheering for you," said Woodson. "It is good to have hometown support ... and to sleep in my bed and eat a good home-cooked meal." Despite his familiarity with his surroundings this week, Woodson did find one big difference on Thursday. "I've played here a couple dozen times and I've never seen rough like this," said Woodson, who hit eight of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens in regulation. "The rough is as difficult as it's ever been. If you keep it in the fairway you have a chance (this week)." Woodson has built quite a legacy in the Richmond area, becoming just the sixth player in Virginia history to win back-to-back State Amateur titles. His wins in 2002 and 2003 added his name to prestigious list that that includes PGA TOUR member John Rollins and Champions Tour member Curtis Strange. First-Round News & Notes: In addition to a moment of silence before Wednesday's Pro-Am, Nationwide Tour professionals are wearing Virginia Tech "VT" pins this week to remember the tragic shootings in Blacksburg last week. ... The first-round leader has never gone on to win the Henrico County Open (14 tournaments). One of those 18-hole leaders was Jerry Foltz, who led after day one in 1998 with a 7-under 65 and is on town this week as an on-course commentator for Golf Channel. ... The toughest hole during the opening round was the par-4 16th hole with a 4.442 average, yielding just 11 birdies. The par-5 second hole ranked the easiest at 4.821. ... The opening-round scoring average was 73.622, the exact same average as a year ago. ... The Henrico County Open is the eighth of 32 official events on the 2007 Nationwide Tour. Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
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