Bank of America Championship: First-Round Notebook

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CONCORD, Mass. -- Tom Kite's 9-under 63 Friday matched the Bank of America Championship's 18-hole tournament record (Allen Doyle, Rd. 2, 2003) and was the lowest first-round score in event history. Before Friday, four players (Bruce Fleisher/ 2003, Bobby Stroble/1998, Chi Chi Rodriguez/1990, Dale Douglass/1989) had shot 64 on Friday at this event.

Tom Kite's two-shot lead ties the largest first-round lead in event history. (Badz/PGA TOUR)

Kite's Best Rounds

On Champions Tour

Score, Round Event Finish 61, 3 2003 SAS Championship T2 62, 2 2001 Gold Rush Classic Win 63, 2 2005 Bruno's Memorial Classic T2 63, 1 2004 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am T11 63, 4 2003 Senior Players Championship T2 63, 1 2002 MasterCard Championship Win 63, 2 2000 BellSouth Senior Classic T9 63, 1 2008 Bank of America Championship TBD

• Kite's 6-under 30 on the front nine was one stroke off the tournament's nine-hole record. Doyle posted a 7-under 29 in the second round of the 2003 event and went on to win the tournament that year.

• Tom Kite's two-stroke lead after play on Friday matched the largest first-round lead in tournament history. Jay Sigel (1999), Kermit Zarley (1997) and Chi Chi Rodriguez (1990) all held two-shot leads after the first round but none of these three players went on to win the event.

• Tom Kite's previous-best score in 2008 was 65 in both the first and third rounds of the ACE Group Classic. His previous best round at Nashawtuc was a 7-under 65 in Round 2 of the 2002 Bank of America Championship and he eventually finished tied for seventh that year.

• In the previous 26 years of the Bank of America Championship, only eight first-round leaders/co-leaders have gone on to win. Bob Gilder was the last first-round leader to win at Nashawtuc, defeating John Mahaffey in a playoff in 2002. Thus far in 2008, five of 14 official events have been won by first-round leaders/co-leaders.

• History has shown that it's important to get off to a fast start at Nashawtuc. Since moving to this club in 1984, only four tournament winners (Don January/70/1984; Lee Elder/73/1985; Chi Chi Rodriguez/70/1986 and Jay Haas/71/2007) have posted a first-round score out of the 60s. Lee Elder is the only player to win this tournament with a round above par, claiming the 1985 title after posting a 1-over 73 on Friday.

• Defending champion Jay Haas opened with a 4-under 68 on Friday. In the previous 26 tournaments, five players have defended titles (Larry Nelson/2000-01, Hale Irwin/1997-98, Bob Charles/1989-90, Chi Chi Rodriguez/1986-87-88 and Don January/1984-85) in Boston.

• Tom Purtzer and D.A. Weibring are the only two players to finish among the top 10 at Nashawtuc in each of the last four years. However, both will need to make up some ground in order to extend their streak of top-10s to five. Purtzer opened with even-par 72 Friday (tied for 43rd) and Weibring carded a 1-over 73 (tied for 54th).

• Walter Hall's streak of consecutive holes without a three-putt ended at 218 consecutive, the longest on the Champions Tour this year. Hall's streak started on the 14th hole in the first round of the FedEx Kinko's Classic and ended with a three putt on No. 16 Friday.

• Hale Irwin's 4-under 68 Friday was his 19th round in the 60s at Nashawtuc and was the two-time Bank of America Championship winner's best opening-round score since 2001 (67).

• Gary Hallberg, a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR, carded a 2-under 70 in his debut on the Champions Tour. Hallberg earned his way into this week's event through open qualifying on Tuesday. He tied for furth in the open qualifier, posting a 4-under 68 at Haverhill.

• John Morse, making his second career start on the Champions Tour, carded a 5-under 67 at Nashawtuc Friday. Morse won the 1993 New England Classic on the old Ben Hogan Tour in Falmouth, Maine.

• Friday's field scoring average of 71.244 was the lowest first-round stroke average in this event since 2003 (71.148). Last year's opening-round stroke average was 71.846. There were 24 rounds in the 60s Friday, the most for a first-round since 2003 (30), and 43 players broke par, the most ever for a first round at Nashawtuc. Last year on Friday, only 13 players had scores in the 60s and 41 players were under par.

• The hardest hole in Round 1 was No. 7 (4.179), yielding just six birdies. No. 8 played as the second most difficult (3.179), giving up only seven birdies. Bruce Lietzke was the only player in the field to birdie both holes Friday. The par-5 10th hole played as the easiest (4.551), yielding one eagle and 36 birdies.