First round: Mallinger, LaBelle post career days
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- The shootout is on in the desert.
Doug LaBelle II and John Mallinger shot 7-under 63s on Thursday to share the first-round lead in what promises to be a flurry of birdies at the Frys.com Open.
"It's fun to make a lot of birdies," said LaBelle, who lives in north Phoenix, a 10-minute drive from the tournament. "We know we're going to have to make some to have a chance to win."
Richard Johnson, the 2007 Nationwide Tour earnings leader who has struggled in his first PGA TOUR season, was one shot back at 64.
Arron Oberholser was among six players to shoot 65s under ideal conditions -- cloudless and temperatures in the mid-80s, on the 7,125-yard Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club in north Scottsdale.
Oberholser, winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am two years ago, is in his second tournament after recovering from two surgeries on his left wrist in a span nine months.
"I don't know if this is going to give me great confidence," he said, "but it's definitely building in that direction."
Chris Stroud, Mathias Gronberg, J.J. Henry, Marco Dawson and Todd Demsey also opened with 65s.
Defending champion Mike Weir shot a 66. Last year in the inaugural event, the Canadian star won his first PGA TOUR tiitle since February 2004, beating Australia's Mark Hensby by a stroke.
The Frys.com event, with a first prize of $900,000, features players scrambling to move up on the rankings, many of them trying to secure a PGA TOUR card for next season.
| 25 | Number of putts in Round 1 by Doug LaBelle |
| 138 | Number, in feet, of the total amount of putts made by John Mallinger |
The Fall Series is an opportunity for them to gather confidence, as well as money.
"There's a lot of players out here that have a ton of ability, a lot more than me," Stroud said, "and if you can just get your mind in the right position, and know what you're doing every day, you can do pretty much anything, I believe.
Mallinger, in his second season on TOUR, has five career third-place finishes, including two third-place ties this year. The most recent was last week at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas. He ranks 64th on this year's money list.
Playing the back nine first with an afternoon tee time, he made the turn at 5-under 30. He finished with eight birdies and one bogey.
"It's going to be a shootout," Mallinger said. "You take last week, I think I was 22 under and I didn't win the golf tournament. You have to make a lot of birdies these last tournaments."
Playing the back nine first, LaBelle had birdies on three of the last four holes to move in to a tie for the lead just as darkness fell. He said he hadn't played this well since he was in a five-way tie for the lead halfway through this year's FBR Open, held just down the road from Grayhawk. He's 171st on the money list.
"It's just nice to hit some good shots, make some putts and shoot a nice score," LaBelle said. "It's been a long time since I've done that."
Johnson, in the first group to tee off at 6:45 a.m., ranks 204th on the PGA TOUR money list. His best finish was tied for 27th Oct. 5 at the Turning Stone Resort Championship, the second of the tour's seven fall series events.
He was a two-time champion last year on the Nationwide Tour, earning $445,421. In 28 PGA TOUR events this year, he's won $188,324.
"It hasn't been a good year for me," Johnson said. "I don't know, I'm fighting myself a lot out there. I get yelled at by my coach, who was just saying this week 'You're on the TOUR, enjoy it!'"
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| Thursday's Best |
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The par-4, 332-yard 15th was the easiest with a Thursday scoring average of 3.641.
The par-4, 515-yard 18th was the toughest with a Thursday scoring average of 4.313.
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Nick Flanagan ran in a chip shot from off the green on the 15th hole for a birdie. 
John Mallinger and Doug LaBelle both had eight birdies and one bogey to secure their lowest rounds of their TOUR careers. | QUOTE OF THE DAY | ||
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AS A WISE MAN ONCE SAID, PAIN DON'T HURT
Arron Oberholser is making just his 10th start of the year -- injuries have limited him for most of his PGA TOUR career. When he is healthy, Oberholser is one of the best in the world, having finished the 2007 season ranked 30th in the Official World Golf Ranking. When he isn't, the amount of Advil in his bag outnumber the Titleists.
His 65 in the first round of the Frys.com Open was the first time he'd broken 70 in his last 23 rounds on TOUR, which is a good indicator that he is feeling well enough to attempt a return to form in 2009.
Oberholser is 180th on the money list and seems headed for a Medical Exemption unless he can nail down a couple of big finishes in the last three weeks.
"I'll have 22 or 23 events next year to do what I need," Oberholser said in April. "I don't play more than 22 events a year anyway. I'll be fine."
Oberholser had plenty of good reasons to play at Grayhawk this week -- he is one of a slew of PGA TOUR pros that live less than 10 minutes away.
Replay his round, click here.
| Arron Oberholser's 65 was his best since his second-round 65 at The Honda Classic: | ||||||||
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INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
XM Satellite Radio announcer Fred Albers offers these observations from Thursday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.
Robert Garrigus had the long and short of it in his opening round. On the 572-yard par 5 11th hole, Garrigus hit a 415-yard drive, then a pitching wedge onto the green. He two-putted for birdie en route to a 66. Garrigus draws attention with his drives and his putting. The shaft of his putter measures 28 inches 
. It's the shortest on TOUR and seems to resemble something from a miniature golf course.
Richard Johnson played in the very first group of the day, teeing off at 6:45 a.m. PT. He posted a 6-under 64 and has an unusual combination of residences. Johnson is a well-traveled man. He grew up in Wales, attended Augusta State and lives in Fort Smith, Ark., playing out of Hardscrabble Country Club.
You have to "hand" it to Arron Oberholser. The Arizonan had hand surgery this summer and is playing in just his second tournament since the operation. Oberholser said he hit a few "quakes," but managed a 65. Just don't walk by and offer a high-five.
| What the leaders said... | ||||||||||||||||
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| Read full interview transcripts | ||||
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FRYS.COM OPEN: ROUND 1 NOTEBOOK
By Doug Milne, PGA TOUR Staff
• John Mallinger made five birdies on his front nine to set the pace for a seven-under-par 63 in round one of the Frys.com Open to share the first-round lead with Doug LaBelle II.
• In his sophomore year on the PGA TOUR, John Mallinger is competing in his 28th event on TOUR this year, highlighted by two 3rd places finishes (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and last week's Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open). In addition, he has amassed top-10s at the Honda Classic (T7) and the Memorial Tournament (T10).
• In the less-than-two-years since joining the PGA TOUR, John Mallinger has collected five third place finishes.
• In its' short history, the PGA TOUR Fall Series has proven beneficial to John Mallinger. His third place finish at the 2007 Turning Stone Resort Championship was followed a week later with a T15 at the Valero Texas Open. Heading into the PGA TOUR Fall Series, he was ranked 177th in the World Golf Rankings. After the Valero Texas Open two weeks later, he had jumped 40 spots to number 137.
• Statistically, John Mallinger was near-perfect off the tees and into the greens, having hit 12 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation. Coming into the week, Mallinger ranked 184th in greens in regulation, hitting just over 60% of the greens.
• Doug Labelle II made the most of getting a spot in the field as an alternate by posting a seven-under-par 63 in round-one to take a share of the Frys.com Lead with John Mallinger after birdies on three of his last four holes.
More notes, click here.
THINGS TO WATCH ON FRIDAY
1. Richard Johnson. He's 195th on the money list and needs a win -- not a second-place finish -- to secure a PGA TOUR card.
2. Robert Garrigus. This long bomber lives in the Scottsdale area and is 140th on the money list. He has passed J.B. Holmes for second on the 2008 PGA TOUR Driving Distance list, but he must putt well to win. He used only 27 putts during his Thursday round of 66.
3. Jason Day. The rookie hit the majority of the greens in his first look at Grayhawk. At 131st on the money list, he needs to make sure he makes the cut with plenty to spare.
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