Round 1 Notebook: St. Jude Classic

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Weather: Mostly cloudy and hot. High in the lower 90s, with heat index near 100. Winds S 8-12 mph.

• Play was suspended due to a dangerous weather situation at 6:18 p.m. The 20 players who failed to finish the first round will be back in position at 7:45 a.m. The second round will begin as scheduled at 7:00 a.m.

RELATED

Leaderboard
Scorecard: Westwood
Scorecard: Wittenberg
Scorecard: Harrington
The Live Report
Player Transcripts

• Lee Westwood, the third-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking and playing this week on a sponsor's exemption, recorded a 7-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the 2010 St. Jude Classic presented by Smith & Nephew. Local favorite Casey Wittenberg is one back, while Padraig Harrington is just two behind.

• By comparison, the opening-round tournament record (also the current-course record for any round) of 61 was set by Bob Estes en route to victory in 2001. Jay Delsing equaled that mark with a final-round 61 in 1993.

Lee Westwood

• Westwood's 6-under 29 on the back nine (his opening nine holes after beginning the round on No. 10) equals the TPC Southwind course record. Others to card 29s were Gene Sauers (R3, 1995), Gil Morgan (R4, 1996), Clarence Rose (R1, 1999), Boo Weekley (R4, 2002) and Tom Pernice Jr. (R3, 2004).

• Westwood's 63 equals his best round on the PGA TOUR. He carded a 7-under 63 during the third round of the 2005 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational en route to a T24 finish.

• Westwood's previous best opening-round score on the PGA TOUR was a 7-under 65 at the 2005 PLAYERS Championship (finished T22). Thursday's 18-hole lead is the first of his career in a PGA TOUR event.

• Westwood, making his first-career start at the St. Jude Classic, is teeing it up for the eighth time this season. He has yet to miss a cut in 2010, with top-10 finishes at the Masters (2nd), THE PLAYERS Championship (T4), Shell Houston Open (T8) and The Honda Classic (T9).

Casey Wittenberg

• Wittenberg, a 25-year-old native of Memphis, Tenn., is making his seventh start at the St. Jude Classic, with two made cuts (T52-2005, T65-2006). Thursday's 64 is just his fourth round in the 60s at the St. Jude Classic and his first in seven tries during the first round. His previous best round here was a second-round 5-under 65 in 2006.

• Wittenberg's 64 equals his low round on TOUR. He carded an 8-under 64 at the 2009 Bob Hope Classic (R3) and a 6-under 64 at the 2009 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee (R3).

• This is Wittenberg's first start of the season on the PGA TOUR, after finishing No. 166 on the 2009 FedExCup points list (made 10 cuts in 25 starts). He is playing on the Nationwide Tour this season and is currently No. 58 on the money list. In 11 starts, he has six made cuts and his lone top-10 at the Michael Hill New Zealand Open (6th). He has missed his last four cuts on that Tour.

Padraig Harrington

• Harrington (65) is making his fourth-career start at the St. Jude Classic. He missed the cut in 2007 and 2009, but finished T4 in 2008. His 5-under 65 is his best effort at TPC Southwind and his first sub-70 round on either Thursday or Friday in the event. His previous-best round was a third-round 4-under 66 in 2008.

• Harrington is making his 11th start of the season, with seven made cuts and three top-10 finishes (T3-World Golf Championships-CA Championship, T7-Quail Hollow Championship and T8-Transitions Championship).

Bob Estes

• 2001 St. Jude Classic champion Bob Estes is making his 22nd start at the St. Jude Classic. His 4-under 66 on Thursday is his best opening round at the event with the lone exception of the first-round, course-record 61 he posted on his way to the winner's circle in 2001.

Villegas Brothers

• Brothers Camilo and Manuel Villegas are teeing it up together this week for the first time in a PGA TOUR event. Manuel stands at 1-under through 16 holes, while Camilo carded a 1-over 71.

• Manuel, playing via a sponsor's exemption, is making his third-career TOUR start (finished T44 and T45 at the 2009 and 2010 Puerto Rico Open). He has two made cuts in six starts on the 2010 Nationwide Tour, including a season-best sixth-place finish at the Moonah Classic.

• Camilo Villegas, ranked No. 10 in the FedExCup standings, is making his fifth start at the St. Jude Classic. He has never missed the cut here, with top-20 finishes in 2006 (T16) and 2008 (T18).

Jordan Spieth

• Sixteen-year-old Jordan Spieth opened with a 3-over 73. The current top-ranked junior in the country is making his second TOUR start, garnering national attention for his T16 finish at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Spieth had already received an invitation into the St. Jude Classic before his stellar performance at the TPC Four Seasons Resort, as the tournament annually hosts the AJGA Player of the Year.

Miscellaneous Stats

• The first-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win just five of 23 stroke-play events on TOUR this year, most recently Justin Rose at the Memorial Tournament.

• A player holding at least a share of the first-round lead has won the St. Jude Classic 13 times in the tournament's 52-year history. Brian Gay was the last to do so in 2009, winning in wire-to-wire fashion after a first-round 64.

• Billy Mayfair (69) and Will MacKenzie (70) both had aces on the par-3 eighth hole with 7-irons from 170 yards. Prior to Thursday, the last hole in one at the St. Jude Classic was recorded by Michael Allen on No. 4 during the third round in 2004.

• David Toms, winner of the 2003 and 2004 St. Jude Classic, posted a 1-over 71 in his 19th career start at the St. Jude Classic. After missing the cut in three of his first four starts at the event, he has reeled off 14 consecutive cuts (tied with Gene Littler for most in tournament history). Since 2002, he has seven top-10 finishes (T37 in 2008 the only exception), with six top-4 finishes (T2-2009, 3-2007, 2-2005, 1-2004, 1-2003, 4-2002).

• Defending champion Brian Gay opened with a 3-over 73. The tournament has had three repeat winners: Dave Hill (1969-70), Lee Trevino (1971-72) and David Toms (2003-04).

• Nine past champions of the St. Jude Classic are competing this week: Brian Gay (2009/73), Justin Leonard (2008, 2005/74), Woody Austin (2007/69), Jeff Maggert (2006/68), David Toms (2004, 2003/71), Len Mattiace (2002/73), Bob Estes (2001/66), Jim Gallagher, Jr. (1995/74) and Dicky Pride (1994/69).

• Bogey-free rounds: Lee Westwood (63), Casey Wittenberg (64), Padraig Harrington (65), John Senden (66), Bob Estes (66), Ryuji Imada (67), Greg Kraft (67), Josh Teater (TBD, thru 17 holes), Jason Dufner (68), Cameron Beckman (69), Rory McIlroy (69), Troy Merritt (TBD, thru 17 holes).

• Bogeys (32) more than doubled birdies (15) on the par-3 14th hole -- this week's Kodak Challenge Hole.

• Robert Allenby (illness), David Gossett (hamstring injury) and Jerod Turner (elbow injury) withdrew during the first round.