American Dean Wilson fired a six-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the New Orleans Classic yesterday.
Wilson, who had been struggling in the early season, carded
seven birdies against a lone bogey to hold the narrowest of
advantages over Australian Peter Lonard and Americans Briny Baird
and Chez Reavie, who all shot 67 at windy TPC Louisiana.
British Open champion Padraig Harrington shot a 71, while US
Masters champion Zach Johnson carded a 72 and twice US Open winner
Retief Goosen of South Africa 73.
Former US PGA champion Steve Elkington of Australia, Americans
Vaughn Taylor, Jay Williamson and Cameron Beckman were in a share
of fifth place.
Wilson, ranked 152nd, had made the cut in only three of eight
events this season with a tie for 29th at the Buick Invitational
his best showing.
"I've struggled a little bit," the 38-year-old told
reporters. "I took a couple weeks off and just went home and tried
to clear my brain and just play golf rather than maybe sit on the
range and fiddle with my swing. I think that helped."
Three shots off the pace at 69 was a group of eight American
golfers including Woody Austin, runner-up at last year's US PGA
Championship.
The shot of the round belonged to Baird, who holed out on the
par-four sixth hole from 208 yards, when his five-wood landed on
the front of the green and rolled into the cup.
Baird said he hit the shot a touch thin but it worked out
perfectly for him.
"Being a little thin...it stays under the wind a little bit
better," said the 35-year-old Baird, who is still looking for his
first US tour title. "My caddie and I could tell it was going to be
good.
"We saw it disappear. we weren't sure if it was in or not,
and then all four people behind the green went berserk."
Baird, who began his round on the back nine, also chipped in
from 39 feet for birdie at number four. Another birdie at the
par-five seventh put him at six-under, but a bogey on his last hole
dropped him from a tie for the lead with Wilson.
Elkington, who helped design this course with famed architect
Pete Dye, joked about his return to form this season, with two
top-five finishes - his best results in more than two years.
The 45-year-old Australian, a 10-times winner on the US Tour,
has not won on the circuit since 1999 at Doral.
"My son who's about 11 now wanted to know where I bought all
those trophies that I have," Elkington said, drawing laughs from
reporters. "I've been trying to play more golf and refocus a little
bit on trying to get up and win some tournaments."
World number four Steve Stricker, Japan's Shigeki Maruyama
and Sweden's Robert Karlsson were among a large contingent who
posted two-under-par 70s.