Arnold Palmer Invitational: First-round notebook
By John Bush, PGA TOUR Staff
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jason Gore posted a 5-under 65 Thursday to take the opening-round lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, one stroke clear of Tim Herron and Jeff Overton. In two previous appearances at Bay Hill, Gore has finished tied for 26th (2006) and missed the cut (2008).
| Inside the Numbers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18-Hole Leaderboard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
• This marks the third time in Gore's career that he has held at least a share of the first-round lead. He carried the opening-round lead at the 2005 84 Lumber Classic on to the winner's circle, while he eventually finished tied for seventh after leading after the first round of the 2007 Frys.com Open.
• Gore currently sits No. 205 on the FedExCup points list, with three made cuts in seven starts. His last start yielded his best finish of the year -- a tie for 44th at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular. Thursday's 65 betters his previous best round this season by three shots -- a 68 during the second round of The 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer.
• Tim Herron sits just one back after a 4-under 66. It represents his first round in the 60s at the Arnold Palmer Invitational since an opening-day 68 in 2001. He had posted 25 consecutive rounds of 70 and above prior to Thursday's sub-70 score. In his 13 starts here (prior to 2009), Herron's opening-round average was 72.15.
• Herron is making his 14th career start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with a win in 1999 among his three top-10 finishes in nine made cuts (first in 1999, tied for sixth in 1997, tied for 10th in 2000).
• Herron's opening-round 66 equals his career-best effort at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, posted on two previous occasions. In 1997, he posted a 66 in the third round on his way to a tie for sixth place finish. In 1999, an opening-round 66 was the catalyst as he went on to one of his four career victories (1996 Honda Classic, 1997 LaCantera Texas Open, 1999 Arnold Palmer Invitational, 2006 Bank of America Colonial).
• Mark Wilson (67) and Skip Kendall (68) managed the only bogey-free rounds on Thursday. Wilson got the best of playing partners and multiple major champions Tiger Woods (68) and Padraig Harrington (70).
• Robert Allenby, tied with Woods with a TOUR-best 31 consecutive made cuts, opened with a 71. Allenby is making his 11th start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with a tie for fourth in 2006 his best outing in seven made cuts.
• The last first-round leader/co-leader to carry that lead to the winner's circle at the Arnold Palmer Invitational was Chad Campbell in 2004. In all, the first-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win the tournament nine times in 43 attempts, dating back to the inaugural event in 1966. One of those winners was tournament host Arnold Palmer, who carried the first-round lead in 1971 to a one-stroke victory over Julius Boros.
• The first-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win five of 12 stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR this season, with the two most recent by Phil Mickelson (Northern Trust Open, WGC-CA Championship).
• Defending champion Woods, making his 14th career start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, began the first round in style by holing a 33-yard wedge for birdie on the par-4 first hole. He went on to a 2-under 68, highlighted by four consecutive birdies on Nos. 11-14. It is just the fourth time (in 14 tries) that he has birdied No. 1 during the first round at Bay Hill (2009, 2006, 2004, 1998).
• Woods is seeking his sixth victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (2000-03, 2008). Only eight times in TOUR history has a player won the same event six times, with Woods having already performed the feat at the Buick Invitational, WGC-CA Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Sam Snead holds the record with eight victories in Greensboro.
• Only three of the 10 past champions of the Arnold Palmer Invitational competing this week managed to break par on Thursday. The list of past champions includes Herron (66), Woods (68), Campbell (68), Kenny Perry (70), Robert Gamez (73), Vijay Singh (74), Paul Goydos (74), Andrew Magee (75), Rod Pampling (78) and Fred Couples (80).
• Ryo Ishikawa struggled to a 6-over 76 on Thursday. He is making his third start of the season, with a missed cut at the Northern Trust Open and a 71st place finish at the Transitions Championship.
• Just 21 of 120 players managed to break par during the first round, as the scoring average totaled 72.118. The par-5 12th hole has played the easiest during the first round with a 4.630 average, while the par-4 16th hole was the toughest at 4.471 -- yielding just six birdies.
• Jason Day, who was even par through nine holes, had to withdraw on the 10th hole with an illness.
Shop your favorite brand name golf equipment and accessories at SHOP.PGATOUR.COM
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner - SI Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 