Five tie for first day lead

The first day of the B.C. Open produced a crowded leaderboard. None of the five leaders, however, would qualify as a household name.

Shaun Micheel, Tripp Isenhour, David Morland IV, Joe Ogilvie and Paul Claxton, each seeking his first career PGA Tour victory, carded 7-under-par 65s Thursday to share the first-round lead at the En-Joie Golf Club.

Of the five players, only Micheel and Ogilvie have top-five finishes to their credit. Micheel tied for fifth at the 2000 John Deere Classic while Ogilvie tied for fourth at the 2000 St. Jude Classic.

"I haven't been able to put four good rounds together," said Micheel, who made his move with four straight birdies on Nos. 3-6, his back nine. "I know it's there. Maybe this can carry over."

With most of the top names on the PGA Tour competing in the British Open, the B.C. Open is reserved for second-tier players.

Among them is Morland, a Canadian who has missed the cut in eight of nine starts this year. He finished 70th in the lone event in which he got to play on the weekend.

"I just felt like I wanted to get off to a good start," Morland said. "I've been in this position before. I have been too inconsistent."

Brian Wilson, a Buy.com Tour member playing in his first PGA event of the year, shot a 6-under 66 and is alone in sixth place one shot ahead of a group of nine players. Among those at 5-under is Paul Gow, who lost a playoff to Jeff Sluman here last year.

Sluman, a native of nearby Rochester, New York, endured a rough day, settling for an even-par 72 that left him tied for 72nd.

A former PGA Championship winner, Sluman arguably is the most recognizable player in the field. He captured the Milwaukee Open last week for his sixth career victory and returned to defend his title here after failing to qualify for the British Open.

The co-leaders have made a combined 383 starts without earning a win. Isenhour is having the best year of the five players, ranking 138th on the money list and making the cut in seven of 10 events.

Micheel, who just missed a chip for eagle at the par-5 eighth hole, is right behind Isenhour at 140th.

Isenhour, in his second full year on the tour, got off to a slow start Thursday with a three-putt for bogey on the first hole, but birdied three of the next four holes. He recorded four birdies on each nine.

"I've played well the last couple weeks but shot some of my highest scores," he said. "I haven't played that bad."

Claxton, who also started on the back, dropped to just 2-under after registering his second birdie on No. 2. But he reached the par-5 third hole in two, starting a string of five straight birdies, the best streak of the day.

"A player like myself has to hit the ball straight," he said. "I'm hitting it better."

Ogilvie has made the cut in only two of nine events this year and has earned just $12,690.

"Certainly, you want to play in the British Open," he said, "but a win here would be huge for me."

Jay Haas, a nine-time winner, withdrew due to illness on the 15th hole. The 48-year-old was taken to Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City to be examined for possible kidney stones.

Craig Stadler and his son, Kevin, competed together in an official PGA event for the first time. Craig opened with a 1-over 73, while Kevin, competing as an amateur, posted a 1-under 71.

The pair had previously played together as a team in the Office Depot Father-Son Challenge, an unofficial event.

First prize is $378,000 and the total purse of $2.1 million is the smallest on the PGA Tour.

The En-Joie Golf Club is a par-72 layout measuring 6,974 yards.

The tournament is named in honor of Endicott native Johnny Hart, creator of the syndicated cartoon strip "B.C."

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page