GOLF: No advantage on home course
Zach Johnson slipped on the green jacket a few months ago, and hoped his homecoming would be triumphant, too. This wasn’t the start he had in mind.
The Masters champion couldn’t settle in, while Neal Lancaster had no trouble making himself comfortable.
Johnson shot a 1-under-par 70 and trailed by six strokes after the first round of the John Deere Classic on Thursday in Silvis, Ill. Lancaster, meanwhile, shot 7 under to grab a one-shot lead over Duffy Waldorf, Paul Stankowski, Kenny Perry, Scott Gutschewski and Jason Dufner.
Ranked 15th in the world and the only top-45 player in this tournament, Johnson started on the 10th hole and appeared to be hitting his stride when he birdied the par-4 15th and par-5 17th. That put him at 1 under, but his putting prevented him from making a run, which explains why he called the round “very mediocre.”
Maybe it was no surprise the magic that carried Johnson to a shocking victory at the Masters and showed up again when he won the AT&T Classic near Atlanta in May was missing. He grew up just more than an hour away from Silvis in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and considers this his home event even though he has never finished higher than 20th.
LPGA
Se Ri Pak isn’t sure why she plays so well at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Everyone else in the field wonders what her secret is, too.
The four-time tournament winner shot an 8-under 63 to take the first-round lead at Sylvania, Ohio. It was the best opening round in the tournament’s 23-year history.
Alena Sharp was two shots back at 6 under. Only five others were within five shots of the lead, including defending champion Mi Hyun Kim.
Pak bogeyed her first hole, after hitting into the rough, then strung together three consecutive birdies. She ran off five birdies on the back nine, making a 25-putt on the 17th hole.
She is trying to tie Mickey Wright’s tour record of five victories in one event – matched twice by Annika Sorenstam – and knows the course better than any player in the tournament.
“Everyone asks why, I don’t know,” she said. “I always feel comfortable here.”
Pak won her first Farr title in 1998 when she was 20 and always seems to be in contention. She also won in 1999, 2001 and 2003.
Alena Sharp had seven birdies and one bogey to shoot 65. Her approach shot on the final hole nearly bounced in for eagle. Sharp is having her best season since turning pro in 2005.
“I learned last year how to make the cut,” she said. “This year I feel I have a good shot at winning a tournament.
Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a 71. Former Rathdrum resident Tracy Hanson shot a 75.
Scottish Open
Phil Mickelson shot a 6-under 65 to share the lead in the first round of the Scottish Open in Luss, Scotland.
The two-time Masters champion had an eagle and five birdies in the British Open warmup at Loch Lomond.
“We had a great day to score low,” Mickelson said. “There wasn’t much wind and the greens were putting very well. It’s a fun test of golf and it was fun to play well the first day.”
Graeme Storm, Soren Hansen and Lee Westwood also shot 65 to tie Mickelson. Mickelson had been troubled by a wrist injury, but showed little sign of it in the first round.
Hawaii teen decides to turn pro
Another teenager from Hawaii is turning pro.
Tadd Fujikawa, the 16-year-old who became the youngest player in more than 50 years to make the cut on the PGA Tour, said he was giving up his amateur status and would make his pro debut in three weeks at the Reno-Tahoe Open.
“I’m really ready for this,” he said. “It’s something that I want to do.”