Round 1, John Deere Classic
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PERRY FINISHES WITH 68 (8:10 p.m.) -- Defending champion Kenny Perry didn't seem too disappointed in his 68 even though he struggled adapting to the greens at TPC Deere Run.
Perry had 34 putts. He hit every green and missed only two fairways.
"They were just so much slower than I'm used to," Perry said. "All that rain yesterday really changed -- I didn't get to play yesterday. I was in the afternoon pro-am, so I had a day off and didn't put on any of the greens, and then I just came out today and they were just slow. I just couldn't get anything to the hole.
"I've just got to get out there, and hopefully the greens will dry out a little bit more and pick up a little bit more speed. I kept leaving everything short today. Then when I did hit it, I hit it way by the hole. It was a battle for me on the greens. But I hit it nice from tee to green."
| Kenny Perry in Round 1 | ||||||||||||
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STILES BIRDIES THE 18TH TO CATCH JANZEN (8:04 p.m.) -- So much for Janzen having the Round 1 lead by himself. Darron Stiles launched his approach on the long par-4 18th to seven feet to get back to 7 under. The 64 was easily Stiles' lowest round of the year and his lowest on TOPUR since his 63 in the 2003 Greater Hartford Open.
STILES FALLS TO 6 UNDER (7:47 p.m.) -- Darron Stiles, who earned his TOUR card via his seventh-place finish in the Nationwide Tour last year, bogeyed the par-5 17th to drop into a tie for second. That hands the lead back to Janzen with only a few groups left on the course.
JANZEN FINISHES WITH 64 (7:16 p.m.) -- Lee Janzen's bogey-free round -- and early lead -- disappeared on the 18th hole when he bunkered his approach and failed to get up-and-down.
The bogey drops him to 7 under and tied with Darron Stiles, who has birdied four of his last seven holes.
Here is a look at Janzen's scorecard:
JANZEN GETS TO 8 UNDER (6:58 p.m.) -- Lee Janzen has a two-shot lead over the field after sticking a pitch shot to 7 feet and making the putt.
Janzen has eight PGA TOUR victories, but none since his second U.S. Open triumph in 1998. He tied for fourth at the Verizon Heritage earlier this year.
NEW LEADER (6:35 p.m.) -- Lee Janzen just stuck his tee shot at the par-3 16th to four feet and made the putt, making him the first player to reach 7 under. He still has the par-5 17th to play, so the chances of him going even lower are high.
Janzen's lowest round of the year? A 63 in the third round of the The 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer.
NO. 9 IS NO PUSHOVER (6:30 p.m.) -- TPC Deere Run may be playing fairly easy on Thursday, but the exception is the 504-yard par-4 ninth. There have been a lot of front-runners who had to finish on the ninth hole today, and all of them had to work very hard just to have a chance to par.
Greg Owen was one of the unlucky ones. Owen is not a short hitter, and he still had 230 yards to the flag after his tee shot. After dumping a 3-iron into the bunker, he had his only bogey of the day.
"I was going with a 6-iron in practice, and I hit a 3-iron [today]," Owen said. "[I] still didn't get it pin high today after a really good drive."
DEAN WILSON DROPS BACK (6 p.m.) -- Dean Wilson, who's made only nine of 19 cuts this year, tied leader J.J. Henry at 6 under before bogeying the par-4 14th hole.
Inconsistent ball-striking has plagued Wilson all year. He's eighth in Putting Average, but 146th in Greens in Regulation and 180th in Total Driving, which combines distance and accuracy.
PAT PEREZ INJURY UPDATE (5:35 p.m.) -- We haven't heard much about Pat Perez since spraining his ankle after THE PLAYERS Championship.
Perez missed the cut at the Travelers Championship and the AT&T National -- failing to break 70 in any round -- but he's already 4 under today after 12 holes at TPC Deere Run.
Perez is another player looking to win this week and qualify for the British Open next week. Due to the ankle injury, he missed the local qualifiers for both the U.S. Open and the British Open.
CRAZY STREAK ON THE NATIONWIDE TOUR (5:10 p.m.) -- The Nationwide Tour is in Canada this week for the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic, and Kyle Reifers just pieced together a scoring run for the ages.
Reifers, who lost his PGA TOUR card after making just nine cuts in 27 starts, was even par through three holes in the first round at the Raven Golf Club.
Starting on the fourth hole, Reifers had six birdies and two eagles before bogeying the par-3 12th.
Here is a look at his scorecard:
TRIPLETT: SCORING WILL BE LOW (5:05 p.m.) -- Kirk Triplett, who shot a 4 under 67, expects scores to go even lower this afternoon due to soft conditions at TPC Deere Run.
"Well, you know, the golf course is very soft. There are going to be some very good scores this afternoon," Triplett said. "There will be a lot of good scores this afternoon. It takes four 4- or 5-under rounds to do well here, so I've got one under my belt, and hopefully I can get three more."
NO ONE-HIT WONDER (4:45 p.m.) -- Matt Bettencourt had a golden opportunity to shock the PGA TOUR community with a win at the Memorial in May, but his final-round 75 enabled Tiger Woods to author a one-shot victory.
The experience seems to have only fired up Bettencourt, who earned his PGA TOUR card by pacing the Nationwide Tour money list in 2008.
Bettencourt is already regarded as one of the nice guys on TOUR, and based on his play, he might be around awhile. He finished tied for 11th at the U.S. Open despite opening with a 75, and he tied for 11th last week in the AT&T National after shooting 66-68 on the weekend.
Bettencourt immediately jumped up the leaderboard Thursday with birdies on five of his first 11 holes. The birdie binge isn't much of a surprise -- he's one of the longer hitters on TOUR, and he's shown an unusual ability to make mid-range putts:
| PGA TOUR Putting from 10 to 15 feet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BRITISH OPEN UPDATE (4:30 p.m.) -- There are 23 players in the John Deere Classic that will be playing in the British Open next week including: Briny Baird, Mark Calcavecchia, Chad Campbell, James Driscoll, Ken Duke, David Duval, Lucas Glover, Todd Hamilton, Charley Hoffman, Charles Howell III, Richard S. Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Tom Lehman, Davis Love III, Bryce Molder, Kenny Perry, Carl Pettersson, Brandt Snedeker, Steve Stricker, Kevin Sutherland, David Toms and D.J. Trahan.
Another player has the opportunity to join the 23 players heading to the British Open from the John Deere Classic. The leading player, not otherwise exempt, among the top five finishers and ties at the John Deere Classic will be exempt for the British Open. J.J. Henry is trying to qualify for the British Open for the third time in his career through this exemption, while Jason Day and Dicky Pride are looking for their first-ever appearance in the British Open. -- Mark Stevens
PARNEVIK WITHDRAWS (4:25 p.m.) -- Jesper Parnevik, who shot 77 this morning, withdrew from the tournament, citing back pain. -- Mark Stevens
SPENCER LEVIN WATCH (4:10 p.m.) -- PGA TOUR rookie Spencer Levin teed off on the back nine and birdied his first five holes to get to 5 under. He bogeyed his sixth hole when he dumped his drive into a fairway bunker.
Levin made a splash at the Travelers Championship two weeks ago, shooting 64-69-67 to move into contention before fading with a 72 on Sunday. Levin entered TPC Deere Run with just six made cuts in 15 starts, but he's posted a respectable Scoring Average of 70.89 this year.
To follow Levin with Shot Tracker, click here.
THOUGHTS WITH THE '07 CHAMPION (3:45 p.m.) -- Several players that teed off early Thursday, including Davis Love and Zach Johnson, boarded a plane to South Carolina for visitation services for Jim Byrd, father of 2007 John Deere Classic winner Jonathan Byrd.
"When one of your peers, one of your brothers, if you will, in this family that we call the PGA TOUR has issues, needs some support, you've got to go," Johnson said.
The elder Byrd, 65, died on Tuesday from brain cancer. Jonathan Byrd withdrew from the tournament on Monday.
In March, our cameras featured the Byrd family in Tampa, when Jim Byrd followed his son during the Transitions Championship.
Byrd won the John Deere Classic in 2007 in a brilliant battle with Tim Clark. The victory gave Byrd a last-minute entry into the British Open at Carnoustie.
MEET ANDREW RUTHKOSKI (3:20 p.m.) -- Former Michigan State star Andrew Ruthkoski won a playoff Monday to earn one of the four final spots in the John Deere Classic, and he appears well on his way to making his third cut on the PGA TOUR.
Ruthkoski, who has two starts in the Buick Open and one in the U.S. Bank Championship, shot 68 on Thursday to move onto the first page of the leaderboard.
Ruthkoski teed off on the back nine and only had one bogey all day.
PAYNE STEWART AWARD (2:50 p.m.) -- The 2009 season has brought up constant reminders of the lasting legacy of Payne Stewart: the 2009 PGA Championship will be held at Hazeltine National, where Stewart won the U.S. Open in 1991.
The 2009 U.S. Open marked the 10-year anniversary of Stewart's win at Pinehurst, and Stewart's look-alike son Aaron has been making news as an accomplished player in his own right.
It was announced on Thursday that Southern Company will sponsor an 11-week vignette series, "A Lasting Legacy", from July 14-September 29 on GOLF CHANNEL'S Inside the PGA TOUR. The first episode of the series will spotlight the 10-year anniversary of the Payne Stewart and celebrate the life and career of Payne Stewart.
Each following week will highlight past winners of the Payne Stewart Award, including Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price, Tom Watson, Jay Haas, Brad Faxon, Gary Player, Hal Sutton and Davis Love III. The final episode will feature the 2009 winner, who will be named during THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and will include footage from the award ceremony.
GOOD PUTTING FIXES EVERYTHING (2:25 p.m.) -- If J.J. Henry can start consistently putting well, he'd be a lock to win multiple times on TOUR. His opening 65 at TPC Deere Run is proof.
Henry used only 25 putts - this coming from a player who was ranked 182nd in Putts Per Round (30.12) and 184th in Putting Average (1.812) heading into the John Deere Classic.
Henry is in the top 50 in both Driving Distance and Greens in Regulation this year, but his second at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun remains his only top 10.
His 65 on Thursday was his lowest round of the year and gave him the early lead with several big names (Kenny Perry, David Toms, Steve Stricker) having just teed off.
To replay Henry's round, click here.
SIRIUS XM Interview: Dicky Pride
Here is a look at Henry's scorecard:
MIKE VAN SICKLE DEBUT (2 p.m.) -- Mike Van Sickle, a former All-American at Marquette, is making his PGA TOUR debut this week after he received a sponsor's exemption. According to his father, Sports Illustrated golf writer Gary Van Sickle, Mike is also in the field for the U.S. Bank Championship next week.
Van Sickle, who retains his amateur status, will be playing with big-hitting PGA TOUR rookies Gary Woodland and Colt Knost.
PRIDE: MY CLUBS CAME OFF THE RACK (1:40 p.m.) -- Alabama native Dicky Pride has battled a lot of things -- losing his TOUR card, multiple injuries, you name it. So his solid 66 on Thursday morning was a welcome score for a player who hasn't had a lot to cheer about in 2009.
Pride, who won the 1994 Federal Express St. Jude Classic, has struggled to get into tournaments since 2007, his last full season on TOUR. In between, he's battled tendinitis, a foot injury and a torn ligament. He's made it into just five tournaments this year, with no finish better than a tie for 72nd.
But his 66 on Thursday was his best round since the 2007 Ginn sur Mer Classic at Tesoro, when he shot 64. Not only is Pride's health starting to come around, he's also gone back to the basics with his equipment.
The average duffer can relate: Pride recently called up his manufacturer, TaylorMade, and requested a new set of irons straight from the rack. No special length on the shafts, no bent angle on the club head. Pride had been using irons extended a half-inch on the shaft.
Pride says using longer irons actually hurt his game.
"I don't want them upright, long, flat, anything. Standard lie, standard length, standard loft, let's go. It's really helped me, especially with my short irons, and I've really been hitting my short irons, giving myself chances.
"I've been fighting getting underneath the ball, and the longer the club, the more you want to get underneath it. So I said, I'm just going to make them a half inch shorter, and I've been hitting the ball a lot more solid."
To replay Pride's round, click here.
SIRIUS XM Interview: Dicky Pride
Here is a look at Pride's scorecard:
MORNING MOVERS (1:20 p.m.) -- Zach Johnson was among the players with an early tee time on Thursday at TPC Deer Run -- the Iowa native played with Davis Love III.
For highlights from the morning round, click here.
DANNY LEE IN THE FIELD (12:50 p.m.) -- Danny Lee just made the turn, but the real story is that he's at TPC Deere Run in the first place.
Lee scored his first top-10 on the PGA TOUR last week at the AT&T National, and the finish automatically placed him in the John Deere Classic without having to use a sponsor's exemption.
Lee, the 2008 U.S. Amateur champion, turned pro after the Masters. Because he's not a PGA TOUR member, Lee is limited to seven sponsor exemptions, and he's already used six of them. He was originally planning to go to Scotland to prepare for the British Open next week, but when he got word that his top-10 at Congressional got him into the field at TPC Deere Run, he jumped at the chance.
"I'm really pumped up I can play in another event and I'm going to have some experience and play with all of the greatest players out there. I think it's going to be great," Lee said.
Lee needs to earn around $500,000 more to secure a card for 2010.
To follow the rest of Lee's round with Shot Tracker, click here.
SLOW START FOR DUVAL (12:17 p.m.) -- Everyone is on the David Duval watch after his near-victory at the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, but the former world No. 1 is two over after 10 holes at TPC Deere Run.
Duval is our Player Spotight this week. Craig Dolch wrote an excellent column on Tuesday about how Duval not only wants to win again on TOUR, he is positive he can regain the form that made him one of the world's best players from 1997-2001.
Duval spoke earlier this week about his commitment to the John Deere Classic, which was on his schedule even before his remarkable run at Bethpage Black. From here, Duval will fly straight to the British Open, which he won in 2001. It remains his last victory on TOUR.
"I enjoy the relationship part of it with the people here at the John Deere and the tournament," Duval said. "You know, just I feel like these are the events to me that I've been playing long enough that it's nice to be wanted somewhere."
To follow the rest of Duval's round with Shot Tracker, click here.
CHRIS SMITH UPDATE (11:55 a.m.) -- PGA TOUR veteran Chris Smith, who lost his wife in a car accident last month, released a statement on Thursday. His two children, who were both severely injured in the crash, are out of the hospital.
PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour players have donned black ribbons in support of Smith, and caddies have worn caddie bibs with the name "Smith" on the back.
"Most importantly, our family would like to thank everyone who has reached out to offer their condolences during this difficult time," Smith said in his statement. "It is clear that Beth has touched many lives as the kind thoughts and fond memories that we have shared with others since her passing have been truly overwhelming.
"We also can't say enough about the entire golf community which continues to be so supportive of our family. "Both of our children are out of the hospital and at home resting for next week's services, which will be a fitting tribute to Beth and all that she has meant to us."
To read more and learn how you can help Smith, click here.
OLD PUTTER REVITALIZED PERRY'S GAME (11:30 a.m.) -- Defending champion Kenny Perry has always been one of the world's best ball-strikers -- he's near the top every year in both driving distance and accuracy -- but his putting always held him back.
Until last year. Thanks to an old Ping putter. Perry tells the story:
"A gentleman at my club came up and handed me this putter and said, "You need to putt with this. I think it would really help you. I had about five putters laying on the greens, I had belly putters, I putted with belly for a while. This old putter was [a] beat-up Ping Craz-E, and it had a grip on it that was -- it had shreds on it.
"You can tell the guy just completely wore it out and he just didn't like it anymore. I don't know if he truly meant for it -- if he truly believed that. He just wanted something different for me. When he wasn't looking I threw it in the trunk of my car, and I went back to all of my other stuff.
"I was putting poorly, so I said, Hey, I'll give this putter a try. I put a grip on it, and next thing you know I win three tournaments this summer, the Ryder Cup, the Shark Shootout, two tournaments this year."
| Kiss those flatstick woes good-bye | |||||||||||||||
| Kenny Perry became a world-class player again when his putting improved: | |||||||||||||||
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STREELMAN OPENS WITH BIRDIE BINGE (11:10 a.m.) -- We keep waiting for Kevin Streelman to break through and win on the PGA TOUR, and he hasn't hurt himself with his start on Thursday morning at TPC Deere Run.
Streelman birdied his first four holes to move up the leaderboard. It's the latest in a series of fine play from the PGA TOUR sophomore, who started slowly this year after a surprising 35th place finish last year in the FedExCup points standings.
Streelman, who hired former PGA TOUR Network announcer Michael Collins as his caddie a few weeks ago, has made four of his last five cuts, and his final-round 67 at the AT&T National last week enabled him to move into a tie for 11th.
Before the 2008 season, we documented Streelman's long road to the PGA TOUR (click here for video). Streelman is one of the few q-school graduates who kept his card in 2008.
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