Great Shot Gives Glen Day TPC Lead
Talk about a lucky Day.
Just when it looked like Glen Day would merely be another one of the mass of 43 people to break par in Thursday's first round of The Players Championship he finished with a flourish to be alone atop the leaderboard.
Day holed a 7-iron from 180 yards for the only eagle on the 18th hole at the Stadium Course in the history of The Players Championship and shot a 66 for the first-round lead by one stroke over Fred Couples and Rocco Mediate.
A total of 7,501 competitors had played No. 18 in the last 17 years at the Stadium Course without making an eagle in The Players Championship -- until Day.
Couples posted a 67 early and it held up before Day put together a wacky stretch of golf during which he chipped in for a birdie on No. 15, made another birdie on the island-green 17th hole and then closed with another 2 on No. 18.
Mediate, who put away his long putter on Sunday night and went back to a conventional shaft, grabbed a share of second place with Couples when he birdied the ninth hole, his final of the day.
Hurst, Hetherington Tied Atop Dinah Shore
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Pat Hurst, a winner once in her three years on the tour, and Rachel Hetherington, looking for her first victory, each shot 4-under-par 68 Thursday to share the opening lead in the Nabisco Dinah Shore.
Hurst shot a 3-under-par 33 on the front nine at Mission Hills Country Club, then had two birdies and a bogey on the back side.
Hetherington, an Australian beginning her second year on the tour, was in one of the final groups to tee off and finished in the dusk. She went to 4-under with a birdie on No. 15, but parred the final three holes.
Liselotte Neumann of Sweden, last weekend's winner at Phoenix, and Sherri Steinhauer were one shot back of the leaders with opening 69s.
Seniors Battle Final Four In Texas
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- College basketball's Final Four is not the only sporting event taking place this weekend in San Antonio.David Graham, who already has one victory on the Senior Tour this year, looks to defend his title at the $1 million Southwestern Bell Dominion, which begins Friday at the Dominion Country Club.
The Australian is attempting to join Lee Trevino and Jim Albus as the only players to win this tournament twice. Trevino (1991-92) and Albus (1994-95) won in consecutive years.
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