Mitsubishi Electric Champ.: First-round notebook
By Dave Senko, PGA TOUR Staff
KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii -- After starting the day 1 over par after six holes, co-leader Bernhard Langer righted the ship starting at No. 7. The 2008 Champions Tour Player and Rookie of the Year finished the day with nine birdies in his final 12 holes, including seven of nine on the back nine on his way to an 8-under-par 64.
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• R.W. Eaks had the shot of the day in the opening round. A two-time winner in 2008, Eaks made a double eagle at No. 7, the second in this event. John Jacobs made the other in 2002 on No. 10. On Friday, after hitting his drive, Eaks drained a 5-wood from 246 yards for his double eagle. It was the first on the Champions Tour since Bobby Wadkins made one at the 2008 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am (first round on No. 12).
• It should come as no surprise that Hale Irwin is off to a good start in this event. Perhaps the most successful PGA TOUR player in history in the state with nine official wins (eight Champions Tour and one PGA TOUR win); Irwin fired a 7-under-par 65 on Friday. He needed just 24 putts in his bogey-free round at a course he has mastered several times, including wins in this tournament in 1997 and 2007. The 63-year-old Irwin has earned over $4.2 million in the state in his career.
• Brad Bryant turned in his best performance in this tournament since his opening round in 2007 when he shot a 9-under-par 63 and led by two strokes. On Friday, Bryant fashioned an 8-under-par 64 to finish the day tied with Langer.
• Player bettered his age for the 10th time when he shot a 2-under-par 70 on Friday. The 73-year-old Player has also matched his age 12 times in his career. In 2007, Player bettered his age twice in this tournament, shooting 3-under-par 69s in the first two rounds.
• Jeff Sluman, who came into this event with a streak of 25 rounds par or better dating back to last year, increased that to 26 with his 7-under-par 65. The all-time Champions Tour record is 37 by Loren Roberts in 2006-2007, but should Sluman post two more on the weekend, he would move into third place all-time in that category. Larry Nelson had 32 in 2000. Lee Trevino (1992), Bruce Summerhays (1995), Raymond Floyd (1995) and Bruce Fleisher (2002) all had 27 straight at some point in their careers.
• Defending champion Fred Funk is not in this year's field. Funk is sidelined with a right knee injury that plagued him for much of the 2008 season. He underwent surgery last May and had further work done on the knee earlier this month.
• This year's field includes players with 483 career wins on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour and it also includes the winners of 32 major titles on the PGA TOUR. There are also seven Hall of Fame members.
• With near placid conditions, the field averaged 69.000 and 29 of 34 players finished with rounds in the 60s. As a point of comparison, in 2008, the field averaged 67.537 and 31 of 41 players had rounds in the 60s.
• Irwin, Sluman, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Purtzer all carded bogey-free rounds.
• Player and Irwin led all players with 24 putts on Friday, while Gil Morgan hit 17 of 18 greens in regulations to lead in that category. Seven players his 13 of 14 fairways.
• The easiest hole as usual was No. 4 with an average score of 4.029 (-.971). There were three eagles and 27 birdies for the day. No. 4 was the easiest hole on the Champions Tour in 2008. The most difficult was No. five at 3.206 (+.206).
• Jay Haas posted 10th straight round in the 60s in as many starts in this event. He tied for third twice and tied for fifth in his previous starts.
• Loren Roberts, the 2006 champion, opened with a 1-under-par 71. He set the tournament record that year when he posted a 54-hole total of 191 which included an 11-under-par 61 in the final round.
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