First-round notes: U.S. Bank Championship

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• Co-leaders, Jeff Klauk and Greg Chalmers, are searching for their first PGA TOUR wins. Ten players have captured their first TOUR win at the U.S. Bank Championship, including the last two.

• Putting was the key to the rounds for co-leaders Klauk and Chalmers. Chalmers made putts totaling 175 feet, 2 inches. His 24 putts included makes from: 55' 11" -- No. 4; 26' 6" -- No. 5; 10' 3" -- No. 7; 21' 0" -- No. 8; 17' 8" -- No. 16; 11' 5" -- No. 18.

• Klauk needed only 9 putts on the front nine en route to a 5-under-par 29, with just one 2-putt (No. 8). On the day, Klauk (23 putts) was second to Deane Pappas' 22 putts.

• Chalmers holds the second 18-hole lead/co-lead of his PGA TOUR career, having also led after one round at the 2000 INTERNATIONAL where he finished T11.

• Despite bogeys on the opening two holes, Chalmers' 6-under-par 64 was one off his career low on TOUR, a final-round 63 at the 2002 Buick Invitational where he finished T13.

• First-round co-leader Chalmers has one top-10 in 16 starts this season, a T4 at the Puerto Rico Open. Chalmers currently sits No. 125 in the FedExCup standings, with the final events of the Regular Season taking on added significance for those on the bubble. The field for the first Playoff event (The Barclays) has been reduced from 144 to 125 players, and the field for the second Playoff event (Deutsche Bank Championship) has been reduced from 120 to 100 players.

• In five previous starts at the U.S. Bank Championship, Chalmers has one top-10 finish (T5/2002).

RELATED LINKS

Leaderboard: Rd. 1 scores
Round 2 tee times
Scorecard: Greg Chalmers
Scorecard: Jeff Klauk
Photos: Round 1
Transcript archive

• Klauk, who has never held a share of the 18-hole lead on the PGA TOUR, is leading all PGA TOUR rookies in the FedExCup standings at No. 59. Overall, Klauk has made 14 of 19 cuts with a total of four top-25s and one top-10, a solo fourth at The Honda Classic.

• The round of 6-under-par 64 for Klauk marks his career low on the PGA TOUR. Three times this year Klauk has posted a 66, most recently the second round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Klauk earned his 2009 PGA TOUR card as one of the top-25 players on the 2008 Nationwide Tour money list.

• Tag Ridings posted his U.S. Bank Championship career low with a 4-under-par 66 in the first round. His previous low was a first-round 67 in 2006, when he finished T45, his one made cut in three previous starts. On the season, Ridings has one top-10 in 10 starts, a T7 recently at the Travelers Championship. He is 159th in the current FedExCup points list.

• Both Ridings (T3) and Frank Lickliter II (T3) are playing with conditional status in 2009, meaning they finished between No. 126-150 on the 2008 Official PGA TOUR Money List. Ridings finished No. 147 on the 2008 PGA TOUR Money List, while Lickliter finished No. 149.

• Lickliter is playing in his 13th career U.S. Bank Championship, his lone missed start in Milwaukee since 1996 was 2002. In 12 previous starts, Lickliter has compiled three top-10s (T8/1997, T9/2000 and T4/2006). He has just one top-25 in nine starts this season, a T17 at the Valero Texas Open.

• Jerry Kelly fought off a tough start (3-over-par through seven holes) to finish with a 1-under-par 69, aided by three birdies over his final nine holes (Nos. 4-6-9). Kelly scrambled well on a day he hit just 8 of 18 Greens in Regulation (44.4 percent), needing just 24 putts.

• There are seven past champions in the 2009 U.S. Bank Championship field, including five players that have won the event twice: Joe Ogilvie (2007), Corey Pavin (1986 and 2006), Carlos Franco (1999 and 2004), Jeff Sluman (1998 and 2002), Loren Roberts (1996 and 2000), Scott Hoch (1995 and 1997) and Mark Brooks (1991). Ogilvie (T7) is tops though 18 holes among the past champions.

• Low Wisconsin (T3) native through 18 holes belongs to Skip Kendall, who posted a 4-under-par 66. Making his 20th start at the U.S. Bank Championship, Kendall's 66 was his best round at the event since an opening 65 in 2006.

• Sluman, a two-time U.S. Bank Championship winner, is competing in his 700th career PGA TOUR event this week.

• The lone amateur in the field, Mike Van Sickle, posted a 2-over-par 72. The recent Marquette University graduate is competing in his second career TOUR event, having missed the cut at last week's John Deere Classic.

• Six Champions Tour players are in this week's U.S. Bank Championship field -- Ronnie Black, Fred Funk, Scott Hoch, Loren Roberts, Sluman and Bob Tway.

• There were three bogey-free rounds on Thursday: Mathew Borchert (67), Tim Petrovic (68), Marc Turnesa (69).

• Just 44 players broke 70 in the first round in 2009, compared to 74 in last year's first round. Overall, the scoring average was 70.794, the highest single-round scoring average since Round 2 in 2004 (71.260).1.260

• Brian Bateman withdrew after one hole Thursday with a hip injury.