Stiles grabs first-round lead at Nationwide Tour Championship

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McKINNEY, Texas -- Darron Stiles cruised through a stress-free day Thursday and grabbed the first-round lead at the Nationwide Tour Championship with a 7-under-par 64. Stiles was nearly perfect in the opening round of the Tour's season-ending $1 million event, hitting 13 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens en route to a one-stroke lead over playing partner Jeff Klauk (65).

After a bumpy first hole, Darron Stiles sailed through Thursday's first round. (Martin/Getty Images)

Inside the Numbers

Stiles thru 18 Holes

Category Total Rank Eagles 0 N/A Birdies 7 2 Pars 11 T27 Bogeys 0 N/A Double Bogeys 0 N/A Other 0 N/A Driving Accuracy 92.9% T1 Driving Distance 291.5 yds. T25 Greens in Regulation 94.4% T1 Putts per Round 28.0 T3 Putts per GIR 1.588 3 Sand Saves 0 N/A

Stiles and Klauk, both Florida Southern grads, were paired together on Day One at TPC Craig Ranch because they entered the week Nos. 7 and 8 respectively on the 2008 money list. The top 60 money winners qualified for the tournament, which closes out the Tour's 19th season.

"There are still three more days, but it's nice to get out of the gate this well, especially this week," said Stiles. "It looks like we'll be paired together for Round Two and it would be nice to keep Florida Southern 1-2 for the rest of the week."

At the end of the week, THE 25 leading money-winners will earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2009 campaign.

Rookies Garrett Osborn and Spencer Levin posted 5-under 66s and share third place. Bryce Molder, Marc Leishman, Colt Knost and Bill Lunde are tied for fifth after carding 4-under 67s.

Stiles feels like the Nationwide Tour owes him one and this week's Championship might be just the place to collect. Stiles was credited with an unofficial win in the third event of the season when the weather-plagued HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship was reduced to a 36-hole event. His first-place check was official but the victory was not, leaving the 35-year-old with four career titles and wanting more.

"I don't feel cheated but I still want that win," said Stiles. "This week's trophy would make up for New Zealand. It would accomplish all that I wanted to do this year, except one thing."

The only thing that a first-place check of $180,000 wouldn't do is allow Stiles to break Troy Matteson's single-season money record of $495,009 set in 2005.

Stiles' only hiccup of the day came on the opening hole, when he spun his second shot off the green and down a slope, where he chipped up to four feet and canned the putt for par.

"I didn't put it in any bad spots," he said. "That one on 1 was the end of my stress for the day, though I didn't know that at the time. I put myself in good spots all day."

Klauk missed a short birdie putt on the final hole that would have closed his round with four consecutive birdies. His 8-iron on the par-3 17th somehow wound up an inch behind the hole.

"My iron game kicked in there at the end," said Klauk, who won the Melwood Prince George's County Open in May and will be a rookie on TOUR next year. "This week I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. This week is pretty easy for me because I've always come trying to attain a goal. This year I've already reached that goal."

Osborn came into the week No. 47 on the money list and knowing he was going to have to finish high in order to earn one of the 25 PGA TOUR cards up for grabs.

"I think sometimes people perform better when their back's up against the wall," said the rookie who turns 24 next Wednesday. "My mindset is to win. There's always some pressure and some pressure is good. It's never as much pressure as I put on myself. My dad used to say, 'Aim high, miss high.' People have dreams and if you're going to shoot for something you might as well shoot for the stars."

Osborn was steady during the opening round and the only mistake during his six-birdie run was an errant drive off the downhill, 330-yard 14th hole, a reachable par 4.

"I was trying to drive the green and I blocked it about 50 yards right and into the trees," he said. "I was glad I was able to find it. The flag was back right and missing it right doesn't give you the best opportunity to make birdie."

Levin, a 24-year-old rookie, has been among the hottest players on Tour the final half of the year, moving up to No. 21 on the money list via four top-10s in his last six starts.

Levin closed with a flourish Thursday, playing the final six holes in 5 under, including a birdie-eagle finish.

First-Round Notes: In anticipation of possible early-morning frost and a 4:30 pm. finish, Tour Officials announced that players will be paired in threesomes for Friday's second round. All play will be off the first tee with times running from approximately 8 to 11:20 a.m. ... Chris Tidland, No. 25 on the money list, had an up-and-down day with an even-par 71. Tidland, winner of the Albertsons Boise Open, started his round triple-bogey/eagle and then finished the front nine double-bogey/eagle for a 1-over 37. He played the back in 1-under 34 for his 71. ... Bill Lunde eagled the par-5 ninth and 18th holes. ... Tidland and Lunde became only the third and fourth players in the tournament's 16-year history to register two eagles in a single round (Pat Perez, 2000; Tom Scherrer, 2007). ... Players who were bogey-free in round one: Darron Stiles (64), Jeff Klauk (65), Colt Knost (67), David Branshaw (70), Matt Every (68), Gavin Coles (68) and Greg Owen (68). ... Thursday's scoring average at the par-71 layout was 70.220.