NEWS
 
Notes: Six first-round leaders most since 1999
April 28, 2006
By Dave Senko
PGA TOUR staff
 

With six players tied for the lead, that marks the most players to share the first-round lead since six were tied at the 1999 Cadillac NFL Golf Classic.

• PGA TOUR veteran David Edwards made his Champions Tour debut on Friday and opened with a 4-under-par 68. A four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, Edwards joins his brother, Danny, as a member of the Champions Tour. The Edwards join several other brother tandems -- Lanny and Bobby Wadkins, Mike and Dave Hill, Don and Rik Massengale and Lionel and Jay Hebert. Jim Thorpe and his brother, Bill, also competed in one event together in 1999.

• It should come as no surprise that hole No. 9 was the most difficult hole on Friday (4.744/+.744). It annually ranks as one of the most difficult on the Champions Tour. A 442-yard, par-4, it ranked eighth in difficulty in 2003 (4.421/+.421), second in 2004 (4.659/+.659) and fourth in 2005 (4.652/+.652). There was just one birdie on Friday -- Jay Haas. On the other hand, there were 40 bogeys, six double bogeys, one triple bogey and one quadruple bogey.

• Overall, the field averaged 73.487 for the day with seven rounds in the 60s. Only 21 players finished with rounds under par as gusty winds (10-20 mph with gusts to 35 mph) created problems.

• Andy Bean and Bill Longmuir had the longest drives on Friday, each recording drives of 386 yards on No. 14. R.W. Eaks was just one yard shy of the pair at 385 yards on No. 13. Bean also had a recorded a drive of 373 yards on No. 18.

• Curtis Strange, who is one of six players tied for the lead, had his best opening round (4-under-par 68) since shooting a 64 at the season-opening MasterCard Championship at Hualalai. Strange had come into the tournament ranked 55th in first-round scoring average at 72.86. One year ago, Strange opened with a 5-under-par 67 at this event and led by one stroke after the first round.

• Austin’s Tom Kite was the only player in the 78-man field without a bogey.

• Defending champion Jim Thorpe is tied for 22nd, while 2004 winner Larry Nelson is tied for 51st and 2003 champion Hale Irwin is tied for 29th.