Frys.com Open: First-round notebook

text size

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- John Mallinger made five birdies on his front nine to set the pace for a 7-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, Mallinger is competing in his 28th event on TOUR this season, highlighted by two third-place 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 (tied for seventh) and the Memorial Tournament (tied for 10th).

Feldman/Getty Images

John Mallinger fired a career-best 7-under 63 on Thursday.

Mallinger's day

Through 18 holes

Stats Rd. 1 Total Rank Eagles -- 0 N/A Birdies 8 8 T2 Pars 9 9 T94 Bogeys 1 1 T110 Double bogeys -- 0 N/A Other -- 0 N/A Driving Accuracy 86 85.7 T7 Driving Distance 287.5 287.5 T75 Putts per round 28 28.0 T31 Putts per GIR 1.563 1.563 T13 Greens in REG 89 88.9 T3 Sand saves -- 0 N/A

• In the less than two years since joining the PGA TOUR, Mallinger has collected five third-place finishes.

• In its short history, the PGA TOUR Fall Series has proven beneficial to Mallinger. His third place finish at the 2007 Turning Stone Resort Championship was followed a week later with a tie for 15th 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 No. 137.

• Statistically, 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 percent of the greens.

• LaBelle made the most of getting a spot in the field as an alternate by posting a 7-under 63 in the first round to take a share of the Frys.com lead with Mallinger after birdies on three of his last four holes.

• Partially exempt in 2008 because of LaBelle's 138th place on the 2007 money list, the PGA TOUR sophomore's lone top-10 finish came in his first event of the season, the Sony open in Hawaii, where he finished tied for 10th.

• LaBelle's 2008 season got off to a strong start. He rolled the dice by traveling all the way to Honolulu to Monday qualify for the Sony Open in Hawaii. Not only did he earn one of the four spots, but he made the most of the start by tying for 10th. In his next event, the Buick Invitational, LaBelle finished tied for 20th.

• The strength of LaBelle's round on Thursday was putting. After hitting 14 of 18 greens in regulation, he needed only 25 putts to post his 7-under 63.

• In the morning wave, Richard Johnson carded eight birdies and two bogeys en route to a 6-under 64 to take the clubhouse lead. His 64 was the lowest in the morning wave.

• Having finished first on the 2007 Nationwide Tour money list on the strength of two wins to earn exempt status as a rookie on the PGA TOUR in 2008, Thursday's first round was the lowest of Johnson's TOUR career. His previous best was a 5-under 65 in the final round of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

• Prior to the Frys.com Open, Johnson made 26 starts on the PGA TOUR, making just eight cuts. His best finish on TOUR in 2008 was a tie for 27th at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in upstate New York three weeks ago.

• In just his second event back after recovering from wrist surgery, local favorite Arron Oberholser posted a bogey-free, 5-under 65 in the first round of the Frys.com Open.

• Playing in his 27th PGA TOUR event of the season, Chris Stroud posted a bogey-free, 5-under 65 in the first round. Stroud, whose best finish of the season came two weeks ago at the Valero Texas Open (tie for sixth), had previously made just nine cuts this season.

• Accuracy was the key ingredient to Stroud's clean card in the first round. He hit 11 of 14 fairways, coupling that with 15 for 18 greens in regulation.

• Stroud finished outside the top 125 last year (133rd), but thanks to a third-place showing at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament, he retained full playing privileges for the '08 season.

• Bill Haas birdied three of his first four holes en route to a 4-under 66. Earlier this year, Haas claimed his first of two top 10s right here in Scottsdale at the FBR Open (he tied for ninth). Last month at the Viking Classic, the first of seven events that comprise the PGA TOUR Fall Series, Haas earned his best finish of the year after four rounds in the 60s led him to a tie for fourth.

• In 2007, there were 60 players under par following the first round, while 68 players posted sub-par rounds in 2008's first round.

• In 2007, the first-round scoring average was 69.87, while in 2008, the average was 70.00.

• Bogey-free rounds belonged to Kevin Streelman, Oberholser, Chad Collins and Charlie Wi.

• Ted Purdy was disqualified following the first round for a failing to sign his scorecard.

• Dean Wilson withdrew from the tournament following his round.