Print this page  |  Close Window

By Joe Chemycz
PGA TOUR Staff

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Jim Furyk, making his fifth start in Target World Challenge, grabbed the first-day lead on Thursday with a 4-under-par 68 that included a birdie on the closing hole. Furyk leads by one shot over Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson and Rory Sabbatini.

First-time starter Rory Sabbatini had a strong opening round. (Lindquist/Getty Images)

FIRST-ROUND SCORES OF

PREVIOUS TARGET WINNERS

Year Winner After 18 Status 1999 Tom Lehman 3rd 3 behind 2000 Davis Love III 3rd 2 behind 2001 Tiger Woods T3 2 behind 2002 Padraig Harrington T2 1 behind 2003 Davis Love III 1st led by 1 2004 Tiger Woods T1 tied for lead 2005 Luke Donald T8 9 behind 2006 Tiger Woods T2 2 behind

• Complete Coverage

• This is the third time that Furyk has held/shared the first-day lead at Target. He led by one in 2002 after an 8-under 64 and he was part of a three-way tie at 67 in 2004. Furyk has finished 15th, sixth, sixth and tied for ninth in his four previous starts.

• When tournament host Tiger Woods teed off Thursday morning, he became the only player to participate in all nine Target World Challenge events. Woods and Davis Love III were the only two players who had competed in the previous eight. Love is back home in South Carolina recovering from late-season surgery and preparing for the start of the 2008 season.

• Five players in this year's field of 16 are making their first start in this event: Brett Wetterich (73), Zach Johnson (69), Steve Stricker (72), Niclas Fasth (72) and Rory Sabbatini (69). Only two players have ever won this event in their initial start -- Tom Lehman in the inaugural event (1999) and Luke Donald in 2005.

• Only two of eight first-round leaders/co-leaders have gone on to win this tournament. Davis Love held a one-stroke lead after the opening round in 2003 and won. Tiger Woods shared the opening-day lead with Colin Montgomerie and Jim Furyk in 2004 and went on to win.

• Tiger Woods double bogeyed the final hole Thursday to finish with a 3-under-par 69. His best opening round was his 5-under 65 in 1999.

• Thursday's scoring average was 71.693 on the par-72 layout. This is the second-highest opening-round scoring average in the nine years of the event. The first round in 2003 had a scoring average of 73.875, which is the only opening round above par in Target history.

• There were only two eagles recorded in the opening round. Both Fred Couples and Niclas Fasth made eagle 3s on the 534-yard fifth hole.

• Vijay Singh (72) and Rory Sabbatini (69) each hit 12 of 13 fairways Thursday. Steve Stricker (72), Rory Sabbatini (69), Padraig Harrington (71) and Jim Furyk (68) each hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation. Niclas Fasth (72) led the field in putting with 25.