Zurich Classic, Rd. 1
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WI'S LEAD HOLDS UP (7:25 p.m.): Charlie Wi has the first-round lead for just the third time in his career at 6 under, but he has plenty of company with 16 players within two shots. That group includes Charles Howell, Jerry Kelly and David Toms.
Few players were able to make up any ground up on Wi, who went out early and posted the 66 in the morning wave. With so many players so close, however, expect plenty of movement tomorrow. -- Brian Wacker
PERRY STUMBLES DOWN STRETCH (6:40 p.m.): The 17th hole seems to be a bit of a bugaboo for Kenny Perry lately. It was at Augusta National and it was here at TPC Louisiana. Sitting at 5 under with a few holes to play, Perry stumbled down the stretch, making bogey on No. 15 and before adding another at the 17th to finish at 3 under.
Meanwhile, Eric Axley is 5 under after three birdies in a four-hole stretch to open his back nine. With the opening round winding down, Axley is the only one with a realistic shot of catching Wi at 6 under. -- Brian Wacker
LEADERBOARD UPDATE (6:15 p.m.): Kenny Perry is still at 4 under after making par at the 16th hole, but he has company in Jerry Kelly after Kelly birdied his second-to-last hole of the day, the par-4 eighth, where he rolled in a 17-footer.
That now means there are a total of 10 players at 4 under at the moment, including one-time champion here David Toms. There are also another six players at 5 under, meaning that 15 players are currently within two of the lead. -- Brian Wacker
PERRY CONTINUES TO PROWL (5:55 p.m.): Kenny Perry just made his first bogey of the day after failing to get up-and-down for par on the par-4 15th hole, but he's still in good position at 4 under with three holes to play in his opening round. He'll certainly have a chance at birdie on at least one if not two of those holes. The 16th hole is the shortest par-4 on the course at 355 yards, while the 585-yard, par-5 18th is a fairly birdieable par-5. -- Brian Wacker
MCLACHLIN A WORK IN PROGRESS (5:35 p.m.): Parker McLachlin is well in contention after a 5-under 67 today in the opening round, but he knows he's not exactly where he wants to be, either.
"Last week I shot 80, and I don't know where it's going," said McLachlin, who is undergoing a fairly significant swing change. "It can be a little bit daunting.
"I felt like I was playing my first couple of years on TOUR I was playing well, three, four events a year. That's not where I want to be. I want to be contending eight, 10, 12 times a year. It just wasn't good enough for me. So I thought take the next step to get to the next level to be a world class player, and I needed to make that change."
That change includes completely changing his backswing, changing his back position and changing his follow through, all things he's been working on with swing coach Sean Foley.
"I've been putting in a lot of time and effort the last six weeks," said McLachlan, who, even when he's missed the cut has been out there grinding it out on the range. "It's been a lot of hard work putting it in to get to this place where I can put a good round together. Today it was much better to keep it in front of me." -- Brian Wacker
GREEN DAY (5:14 p.m.): By all accounts, Nathan Green's first two years on the PGA TOUR were pretty successful. The Aussie had a combined eight top 10s, including a second and a third, and more than $3 million in total earnings with a 46th place finish in the FedExCup in 2007.
Last year, however, Green slipped, recording just one top 10, a third-place finish at The Honda Classic. More importantly, he fell to 122nd in the FedExCup. After a 5-under 67 Thursday, however, Green is trending upward, at least for the moment.
"The first years I was really keen and my work ethic was really good. The last year,I've let that slip by," Green said. "There's no real part of my game that's fine at the moment. But I'm just trying to get the putting back to where it was originally."
Indeed. Coming into this week, Green ranked outside the top 140 on the PGA TOUR in driving accuracy, putting average and greens in regulation. Thursday, he was solid in all those categories.
"I've never been a good ball striker," Green said. "I'm not a bad ball striker, but I'm not up to the level that most of the guys on out here are. I was always fighting to sort of get it there.
"I feel like I'm killing a snake with my golf swing. I've got to mentally get better. I knock myself around a little bit. But, yeah, it's just been a real fight for me to get on the tour, and then sort of just lost it a little bit the last few years. I feel like it's getting a little bit closer. Maybe it's all the work I've been doing is paying off." -- Brian Wacker
PERRY CONTINUES TO CLIMB (4:53 p.m.): Kenny Perry started the back nine much the way he ended the front: with birdies.
After posting red numbers on Nos. 7 and 8, Perry added birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 12, rolling in putts of 13, 14 and 31 feet, respectively, to get to 5 under on the day and within just one of the lead. -- Brian Wacker
Follow Perry's round live with Shot Tracker by clicking here.
MORE ON WI (4:35 p.m.): Charlie Wi seems to do well in the opening rounds of "Classics". Wi shot a bogey-free, 6-under 66 -- his seventh straight opening-round score of par or better -- to take the lead and put himself in good position. Wi has now led or co-lead after the first round three times in his career. See below for more. -- Mark Williams
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DEFENDING CHAMPION STRUGGLING (4:21 p.m.): Andres Romero, who had to wait nearly 2 1/2 hours after completing last year's final round here to find out that he would be crowned the winner, may have to wait a little longer to get another victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
The defending champion is off to a slow start here after making the turn on the back in 3-over 39. After bogeying the par-5 11th, Romero found the water off the tee on the par-3 17th. He took a drop back in the fairway and then two-putted from 14 feet, 6 inches for a double-bogey 5.
In case you were wondering, the last player to successfully defend here is Carlos Franco, who won in 1999 and 2000, winning the second of those titles in a playoff over Blaine McCallister. -- Brian Wacker
BIG NAMES ON THE BOARD (4:09 p.m.): Playing for this first time since his heartbreaking loss at the Masters, Kenny Perry is of to a solid start at 2 under through his first nine holes following birdies on Nos. 7 and 8.
Perry, currently third in the FedExCup standings coming into the week, would take over the top spot in the rankings with a win.
Davis Toms is also at 2 under after birdies at Nos. 2 and 7, while Boo Weekley and Todd Hamilton are each at 1 under. -- Brian Wacker
SIMPSON ON A BIRDIE BARRAGE (3:49 p.m.): Webb Simpson is rebounding nicely from missing the cut last week in Hilton Head. The PGA TOUR rookie has birdied his last three holes, making the turn in 32 and not surprisingly he's doing it with accuracy, hitting 5 of 7 fairways and 8 of 9 greens in regulation. -- Brian Wacker
AFTERNOON GROUPS OUT (3:35 p.m.): A lot of low numbers were shot this morning with conditions ideal for scoring. It'll be interesting to see if that's the case for the afternoon wave, which is on the course now and playing in slightly windier conditions (so much for no wind).
"It was nice to play early," said Charles Howell III, one of seven players already in at 4-under 68 and two shots back. "We got 10 or 11 holes with no wind, which, especially around here, is nice. But even so right now, it's not blowing as hard as it will blow as the week goes on. And this golf course is a lot friendlier when it's less windy." -- Brian Wacker
LEE UPDATE (3:12 p.m.): Newly turned professional Danny Lee just completed his first round as a pro, shooting a 4-over 76. The 17-year-old got off to a good enough start with a birdie on No. 2 to get to 1 under after he chipped in from off the green, but hit a wall on Nos. 4 and 5 with a triple bogey and a double bogey, respectively. Lee rallied with two more birdies on 7 and 8, again chipping in on the latter, but gave the shots back with a bogey on No. 9 and a double bogey on No. 15. -- Brian Wacker
Here's a look at Lee's scorecard from today:
HOW IT'S PLAYING (2:47 p.m.): For what seems like a first this season, wind isn't much of a factor in New Orleans for today's opening round of the Zurich Classic and the course is yielding some pretty low numbers as a result. Aside from all the red on the leaderboard, both nines are actually playing under par at the moment. Even the toughest holes on the course -- the 221-yard, par-3 third and the 482-yard, par-4 fourth -- are playing barely over par. Meanwhile, the two easiest holes on the course -- the 561-yard, par-5 seventh and the 377-yard, par-4 fourth -- are both playing near a full half-stroke under par. -- Brian Wacker
TOUGH DAY FOR TODD (2:32 p.m.): A week after making Nationwide Tour history with holes-in-one on back-to-back days, Brendon Todd is having a little tougher go of it this week on the PGA TOUR.
A bogey on No. 10, his first hole of the day, was only the beginning of things to come for Todd. He added two more bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16 before doubling the par-3 third, where he hit it in the water right of the green.
After a bogey on No. 4, Todd really struggled on No. 5, hitting his approach long, forcing him to take a penalty stroke. He then had to take a drop and hit from the native area behind the green twice before finally two-putting from 27 feet for an 8. -- Brian Wacker
STRICKER STEADY (2:10 p.m.): Steve Stricker is in with a bogey-free round of 68 after matching 34s that featured two birdies on each side at TPC Louisiana. Stricker, one of this week's Expert Picks, has finished in the top six four times this year, but is still looking for his first win since the 2007 Barclays.
Stricker has come close to winning a couple of times this year -- most notably at the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer -- and has a history of playing well here with a T11 in '07, a T20 in '04, a T14 in '02, a T4 in '00 and a T20 in '99. -- Brian Wacker
MCLACHLIN MAKES A MAJOR MOVE (1:48 p.m.): Parker McLachlin, who has missed his last six cuts, finds himself just one shot off the current lead after shooting a 67.
A bogey on the par-3 ninth was a tough way to finish for McLachlin, last year's Legends Reno-Tahoe Open winner, but it was still a solid round with just two bogeys after birdies on three of his last five holes. All this despite hitting just 8 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens in regulation. The last time McLachlin broke 70 was in the third (and final) round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. -- Brian Wacker
PERRY TEES OFF (1:19 p.m.): Kenny Perry, playing in his first event since his sudden-death playoff loss at the Masters, has just hit the course at TPC Louisiana.
Perry is our featured spotlight player this week. We'll have updates every day on his progress in the Zurich Open.
Perry admitted to a rough couple of days after the Masters loss. Perry, who prefers to drive to tournaments, drove home to Kentucky and spent a sleepless night winding down from the emotional roller-coaster. A long-time muscle car aficionado, he got into one of his vehicles at 5 a.m. and proceeded to drive for three hours.
The solitude helped,Perry said on Tuesday. He was also touched by the hundreds of cards and letters he received, including one from former President George W. Bush. -- Ryan Smithson
To follow Perry's opening round using Shot Tracker, click here.
WI THE CLUBHOUSE LEADER (12:53 p.m.): Charlie Wi fell two strokes short of matching the course record TPC of Louisiana today, finishing par-par, but he is the early clubhouse leader with a 6-under 66 that featured six birdies and no bogeys.
Wi was extremely accurate off the tee and into the green, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation -- both of which rank in the top 12 of the field right now. He also took just 26 putts.
This isn't entirely unfamiliar territory for the veteran Wi. Four times last year Wi finished in the top 10, including a T9 at the PGA Championship. -- Brian Wacker
Below is a look at Wi's scorecard from today:
WATNEY STRUGGLING (12:43 p.m.): Nick Watney, who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans two years ago, has some serious work to do if he wants to stick around for the weekend, much less have a shot of winning this tournament again.
This year's Buick Invitational champ is struggling mightily with bogeys on each of his last four holes on the front after making a double-bogey 6 on the 15th.
Should he continue to struggle and eventually miss the cut, it would be Watney's first missed cut of the season and the first time he didn't finish in the top 20 since the Northern Trust Open in February. -- Brian Wacker
IS FAX BACK? (12:25 p.m.): Brad Faxon is still recovering from ACL and microfracture surgery from last season, but so far he's off to the best start he's had in a tournament all season at 2 under through 13 holes.
Faxon birdied his first two holes of the day and added two more on Nos. 8 and 9 and could be on his way to his first opening-round sub-70 score of the season if he can add another birdie somewhere in the last few holes. In fact, if he can crack 70 today, it'll be the first time he's done that all season in any round.
Playing this season on his top 25 on the PGA TOUR career money list exemption, Faxon has made just one cut this season -- at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, where he finished T52.
While Faxon hopes to play well on TOUR, he is counting down the days until the Champions Tour. He'll turn 48 this year and as long as he stays in the top 25 on the all-time money list, he can use that exemption. He also has the option of using the one-time top 50 on the money list exemption, so expect to see Faxon out here for the next two years without issue. -- Brian Wacker
WI BOGEY-FREE (12:10 p.m.): Charlie Wi is among those also going low in New Orleans today with birdies on four of his first five holes -- he started on the back -- and another one on No. 6. That moves Wi, who has had some really good starts to tournaments this year, to 5 under.
In four of the nine events Wi has played in, he shot 68 or better four times in the first round. The problem for Wi, whose best finishes on the PGA TOUR are a pair of runners-up at the 2007 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee and the 2008 Valero Texas Open, has been stringing together consecutive good rounds.
Twice following those 68s or lower he has shot 73. And while his scoring average in the third round is a better-than-respectable 68.86 -- good for 13th on TOUR -- his final-round scoring average is nearly three strokes higher at 71.57 (102nd on TOUR). -- Brian Wacker
LEE OFF TO TOUGH START (12:00 p.m.): Teenager Danny Lee, who is making his professional debut this week, is off to a rocky start at 4 over through six holes after a triple bogey on No. 4 and a double bogey on No. 5.
Lee's tee shot on the fourth hole went way right, finding the water, and once he finally did reach the green, he missed a 6-foot putt. On the fifth hole, Lee went right off the tee again, then left on his approach and struggled from the rough left of the green before finally two-putting from 8 feet. -- Brian Wacker
ACES UP (11:50 a.m.): Just rename the Nationwide Tour the home of the hole-in-one. A week after Brendon Todd made Nationwide Tour history with aces on the same hole two days in a row, Jonas Blixt, a rookie from Sweden, carded a hole-in-one on the 191-yard, par-3 eighth at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club -- the longest course on the Nationwide Tour.
The ace helped move Blixt up the leaderboard; he is 3 under through 12 holes and one shot back of a tangle at the top. Blixt isn't the only Swede getting some attention at this week's Sourth Georgia Classic presented by First State Bank and Trust Company. Fellow countryman Oskar Bergman is also 3 under through 16 holes. -- Ceri Mobley
ROR-ING START (11:42 a.m.): You keep knocking on the door and someone's going to answer it at some point. Rory Sabbatini has four top-12 finishes this season and while a couple of those have been of the back-door variety, he's off to a great start this week.
Sabbatini had a birdie on No. 18 (he started on the back) and just added an eagle on the par-5 second hole to get to 3 under. It looks like the switch to TaylorMade is paying off for Sabbatini, who switched from Adams clubs the week before playing at Doral.
After making the switch, Sabbatini had two mediocre weeks before finishing T20 at the Masters and T8 at last week's Verizon Heritage. -- Brian Wacker
CHIP AND CHARGE (11:30 a.m.): It hasn't taken long for there to be a bunch of birdies thrown up on the board here at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but how about this 1-hour stretch earlier this morning:
At 8:38 a.m., Jay Williamson, who is currently atop the leaderboard at 5 under through 11 holes, makes his third straight birdie. Less than 20 minutes later, he made his fourth in a row. In between that, Billy Andrade rolled in a 47-foot birdie putt on the par-5 11th.
Meanwhile, starting at 9:03 a.m., there were a flurry of chip-ins, starting with Ryan Palmer, who holed out for birdie from 10 yards out on No. 13. Mark Calcavecchia was next, holing out from the same distance off the green for birdie on No. 6. Ken Duke completed the trifecta, jarring one from the greenside bunker on No. 4 for birdie. -- Brian Wacker
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