EDS Byron Nelson Championship: First-Round Notebook  PGA TOUR Staff IRVING, Texas -- Maybe it means something, maybe it doesn't, but seven of the past eight EDS Byron Nelson Championship winners have started their week at the Cottonwood Valley course. The only winner who began the tournament at the TPC Las Colinas course since 1999 was Vijay Singh in 2003.  Scott Verplank opened his 21st Byron Nelson start with a 5-under 67. (Marc Feldman/WireImage)
• Sean O'Hair posted a 5-under-par 65 at Cottonwood Valley Thursday to grab the first-round lead by one stroke over Anders Hansen and defending champion Brett Wetterich. Born in Lubbock, Tex., O'Hair was runner-up in his rookie start here in 2005. • O'Hair hit 10 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens and had 27 putts for his day. In nine rounds at this event, O'Hair has a scoring average of 67.33. To begin the 2007 PGA TOUR season, O'Hair made only one cut in his first six PGA TOUR starts. • Starting in Orlando at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, O'Hair has finished T14, T14, 7 and T15 at last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The 2005 John Deere Classic winner moved up 13 spots in the FedExCup standings last week and is now No. 58 on the season-long points list. • This is only the third time in Sean O'Hair's professional career that he has held/shared the lead after one of the first three rounds. All three of O'Hair's leads have come in this tournament, with the other two coming in the second round of 2005 and the third round of 2005. • First-round leaders have not fared well in this event over the years. In fact, only two have ever gone on to win the tournament, and both did in wire-to-wire fashion. Mark Hayes did it in 1976 and then Tom Watson matched it in 1980. • Defending champion Brett Wetterich posted a 4-under 66 at the TPC Las Colinas course and is in second place, one back of leader Sean O'Hair. Wetterich now has six straight rounds (10 of 13 career rounds) at par-or-better in this event. • Anders Hansen of Denmark (66) has ties to the Lone Star State. The 36-year old spent his college days at the University of Houston. • Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden (67 at Cottonwood Valley) is making just his third start of the 2007 season. He has been sidelined by a nagging wrist injury. • Australian Nathan Green, who has a residence in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Tex, opened with a 3-under 67 at Cottonwood Valley. Green also shot 67 in the opening round last year at Las Colinas. Green wound up tied for 48th last year, his first start in this event. • Scott Verplank shot a 3-under-par 67 at Cottonwood Valley Thursday. Verplank is making his 21st start in this event and his 67 matches his second-lowest opening round since he first teed it up here in 1986. The Dallas-born Oklahoma resident posted a 62 in the first round in 2001, the year he lost on the fourth playoff hole to Robert Damron. • Verplank's first-round scoring average for his first 20 starts in this tournament was 70.9. His scoring average has improved dramatically the past six years. From 1986-2000 (14 starts) Verplank's opening scoring average was 71.9. From 2001-2007 (seven starts) his opening scoring average is 68.28. • Vijay Singh, the leader in the FedExCup points list, shot a 1-under-par 69 at Las Colinas. Singh is making his ninth career start and his eighth consecutive in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Singh shot a 72 in his first round here back in 1994 but did not make his second start until 2000. In the last eight years, Singh has shot 69-67-69-65-68-68-70-69 in the opening round. Singh has now posted par-or-better scores in 22 of his 27 rounds in this tournament. • Phil Mickelson's opening round of 1-under 69 is no real surprise. Mickelson bogeyed three of his final four holes after playing the first 14 holes in 4 under par. The 1996 champion has now posted sub-par scores in his first round here nine times in 13 career starts. • Colt Knost, a senior at Southern Methodist University, is the only amateur in the field this week. Knost, No. 8 in the Golfweek/Sagarin performance index ratiings, is the first amateur to play in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship since 2000. Justin Leonard is the last amateur to make the 36-hole cut in this event. Leonard posted rounds of 70-67-68-75-280 and tied for 56th that year. Knost posted a first-day 4-over 74 at TPC Las Colinas. • Dallas native Hank Kuehne is making his first start in nearly 13 months this week. Kuehne's last start came at the 2006 PLAYERS Championship, where missed the cut. Kuehne had back problems last year and is playing under a Major Medical Extension in 2007. Kuehne has 21 events to earn $636,221 in order to play out of the Major Medical Extension category for the rest of the 2007 season. Kuehne posted a 4-over 74 at Cottonwood Valley.
• Nick Watney, winner of last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans shot a 2-over-par 72 at Cottonwood Valley thanks to birdies on two of his final three holes. • The players who were bogey-free on Thursday were Anders Hansen (66 at Las Colinas), Luke Donald (67 at Cottonwood Valley) John Senden (67 at Las Colinas) and Fredik Jacobson (67 at Cottonwood Valley). • Jeff Gove had an interesting round of even-par 70 at Las Colinas on Thursday. The Californian had seven birdies on his round along with four bogeys and a triple bogey (No. 9). Gove hit his tee shot in the water down the right side of No. 9 and eventually three-putted for his 7. • There were only six eagles Thursday, four at Las Colinas and two at Cottonwood Valley. Marco Dawson, Bill Haas, Brett Wetterich and Steve Allan eagled No. 16 at Las Colinas, while Scott Abbott eagled No. 11 at Cottonwood Valley and Chris Stroud eagled No. 16 at Cottonwood Valley. • Brandt Jobe withdrew during the first round due to an injured finger/thumb (left hand). Cameron Beckman withdrew after the completion of the first round. Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
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