Claxton and Letzig share lead in Peek'n Peak Classic  PGA TOUR Staff FINDLEY LAKE, N.Y. -- Paul Claxton and Michael Letzig each shot 66 Thursday and lead by one stroke over Jeff Wood, Bryn Parry and Franklin Langham at the $600,000 Peek'n Peak Classic at Peek'n Peak Resort as the Nationwide Tour reaches the halfway point in the 2007 season.  First-round co-leader Michael Letzig hasn't made a bogey in more than four rounds. (Rogash/WireImage)
Letzig shot his fourth consecutive bogey-free round (his bogey-free streak stretches back to the 12th hole of the first round at last week's Knoxville Open presented by Food City). The mistake-free golf resulted in a third-place finish last week and has helped Letzig find his way to No. 15 on the money list. Letzig has made eight cuts this year including three top-10 finishes. "I played really solid," said the Nationwide Tour rookie. "I had a good game plan where I wanted to play very conservative off every tee. I wanted to hit the least amount of club I could hit off the tee and still get away with it. That was one of the best rounds of golf I've played all year. I haven't made a bogey in four rounds. It's scary. I hope I make a bogey soon." Claxton ranks at No. 3 on the money list. The University of Georgia graduate won earlier this year at the Melwood Prince George's County Open and has five top-25 finishes this season. The Nationwide Tour veteran is well on his way toward making 'The 25' and earning his 2008 PGA TOUR card. On Thursday, he suggested that "Success breeds success." "It frees you up a bit when you know you are playing well," Claxton said. "When you are swinging good and feeling good you don't let the bad shots bother you. I think that's the 'zone' that guys talk about." When asked what he needs to do to make the cut this week, Wood replied that he is much more interested in winning. For a guy that started the year with conditional status and has only found his way into five events so far this season, that might seem like a lofty goal. But three consecutive finishes inside the top 25 in the last three weeks and a first-round 67 have him focused on another great finish on the Nationwide Tour. "I've really found my game," said the 6-foot-5 graduate of UC-Santa Barbara. "Having the opportunity to play on a consistent basis out here has been the big thing. I didn't get many starts early on. Now, I'm feeling more comfortable and I'm ready to get a win out here." Wood missed the cut in his first two events of the year, but he followed a T23 at the Rex Hospital Open with a T19 at the Rochester Area Charities Showdown at Somerby and a T9 at last week's Knoxville Open presented by Food City. Wood leads the Nationwide Tour in driving distance averaging more than 324 yards per drive. While he kept driver in the bag a good deal on Thursday, he still credited his distance as an advantage. "I don't use many drivers here, but the holes are do are set up well for me. The two par 5s on the front end up with short irons into the greens for my second shot," he said. "On other holes I can use my hybrid where other guys are 3-woods or even drivers." Parry grew up in Vancouver playing golf in Canada. The 35-year-old Nationwide Tour rookie finished second at last year's Nationwide Qualifier at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament. His round of seven birdies and two bogeys included birdies on his final four holes. "We've got courses just like this in Vancouver. The grass is the same and the look of the course is the same, so I feel very comfortable." Parry said. "Our family is really enjoying it here. The course and the resort are great. It's nice to have my family here with me." Parry credited finding a 3-wood that he felt comfortable with as the key to his round. "It hit it off a lot of holes today and I really hit it well," Parry said. "I've been searching for a 3-wood for a while and this one really worked for me." Five-time Nationwide Tour winner Chris Smith and 2004 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year Jimmy Walker are among a group of eight players that are two strokes off the lead. First-Round News & Notes: Play was suspended from 9:52 a.m. until 10:15 a.m.due to rain and fog causing visibility issues. ... Letzig will need to go bogey-free for 28 more holes to break the record of 106 holes set by Heath Slocum in 2001. ... Bogey-free rounds on Thursday came from Michael Letzig, Tjaart van der Walt, Danny Briggs, Fran Quinn and Kelly Grunewald. Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
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