Round 1, HP Byron Nelson Championship

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May. 21, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM staff

The first groups are ready to tee off in today's first round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Here's how it sets up:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
8:44 am ET No. 1		Dustin Johnson, Charles Howell III, David Toms All three players have showed signs of brilliance in recent weeks. How will they fare this week in Irving?
8:53 am ET No. 10		Anthony Kim, D.J. Trahan, Charley Hoffman It's a home game for Kim, who's looking to find some consistency and some solid play in what's been a slow start to 2009.
1:29 pm ET No. 10		Adam Scott, Fred Couples, Robert Allenby Defending champ Adam Scott has had a tough go of it in 2009. He's hoping his luck can change this week at a comfortable place.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND
IIRVING, Texas (AP) -- Adam Scott cut short a trip to Australia last year for the HP Byron Nelson Championship because he felt he was playing too good to stay home any longer.

Thursday's forecast

Mostly Sunny
Temp: 86 high/65 low
It will be mostly sunny throughout the first round of play, with winds coming out of the east, southeast at 8 mph.

Instead of wasting that good play against his mates down under, Scott returned to the PGA TOUR and won.

Scott is back this week from another overseas trip to defend his championship at the TPC Four Seasons Resort. Except this time, he is trying to rediscover his game -- and hoping to finally make another cut.

"I need to play a lot more golf than I have," Scott said. "Missing the cut, you don't get to play too much golf."

Since a runner-up finish at the Sony Open in January and two World Golf Championship events which have no cuts, Scott has missed the cut and not earned a paycheck his last five tournaments. The six-time winner had never before missed more than four PGA TOUR cuts in the same season.

Even with a chip-in for eagle on his final hole at THE PLAYERS Championship two weeks ago, Scott missed that cut by one stroke. He also came one stroke away from playing the weekend rounds at the Masters.

"I was really close at THE PLAYERS. That's why I was grinding so hard to try and make the cut," he said. "I just felt like, you know, if I can get that next round, I might put it all together. And I didn't get that chance."

Stat of the day

Defending champ Adam Scott starts this week after five consecutive missed cuts, which is the longest missed-cut stretch of his career on the PGA TOUR.

FEDEXCUP NOTES: ROUND 1
• Zach Johnson's victory at the Valero Texas Open moved him to the top of the standings and ahead of Geoff Ogilvy by 94 points.

Poulter

• There are 25 players this week who can move into the top 10 in the standings, but 20 of them will have to win to do it.

• At 50th in the standings, Bob Estes is the lowest ranked player who could move into the top 10 this week. Players currently outside of the top 50 that need to make a move soon include: Anthony Kim (51st), Robert Allenby (56th), Stuart Appleby (114th), Vijay Singh (98th), and Adam Scott (69th).

• Ian Poulter moved from 62nd to 24th in the standings with his second place finish at THE PLAYERS Championship and could move into the top 10 this week with a victory or solo second.

• Finishing in the top 25 six times in seven starts this season, Poulter is averaging about 93 points per start.

• Poulter currently leads the PGA TOUR in scrambling and is tied for second in par 4 scoring average.

-- Mike Vitti, PGA TOUR Staff

The Film Room

	Opening Shot Marc Fein and Joe Inman review Zach Johnson's second win of the year, remember golf legend Byron Nelson and look ahead to this week's event at Las Colinas. Watch it
	Fantasy Insider: 2009 HP Byron Nelson Championship Need help with your fantasy picks for the 2009 HP Byron Nelson Championship? John Swantek and the Fantasy Insider can help you out. Watch it
	Preview: 2009 HP Byron Nelson Championship Adam Scott looks to defend his title as the PGA TOUR heads to TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Watch it