Calcavecchia takes opening advantage

A good short game and some luck can save a golf score. Mark Calcavecchia proved that Thursday.

Calcavecchia made three miraculous pars in the middle of his round, then needed just 11 putts over his last 11 holes to shoot a 7-under 65 for the first-day lead in the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic.

``My short game has just been average, but it was phenomenal today,'' Calcavecchia said.

Calcavecchia's bogey-free round at Forest Oaks Country Club was good enough for a one-shot lead over Paul Stankowski. Four others are two shots off the pace, including 1995 GGCC champion Jim Gallagher Jr.

Calcavecchia, Stankowski and others atop the leaderboard got their rounds in in the morning before the wind started blowing. Only three of the top 22 scores were posted in the afternoon.

A chip in for birdie at No. 8 got Calcavecchia to 2 under. He was then able to dodge disaster on the next three holes before closing strong with five straight birdies on the back nine.

``That's the way I play sometimes. I never know when five in a row are coming,'' he said of his birdie binge.

Calcavecchia saved his round on Nos. 9-11.

His adventure began when he hooked his drive left on No. 9, his ball landing under a rock in a hazard. After taking a drop, Calcavecchia still had to hit through a series of trees to get back into play.

``I missed about 10 tree limbs by an inch,'' he said.

Calcavecchia saved par by hitting a wedge to 10 feet and making the putt.

``I was looking at 7 right there,'' he said. ``I was somehow trying to figure out how to make a 6.''

He made a 5, but things didn't go much better for Calcavecchia on the next two holes.

His drive on the 10th found the left rough and his approach shot landed in the right bunker. He saved par from 8 feet after a poor shot from the sand.

The par save on No. 11 was Calcavecchia's best effort.

After flying his drive into the left pine trees and hitting his approach shot to a downhill position in a back bunker, Calcavecchia opened up a wedge as far as he could and hit a shot just over heavy rough within inches of the cup for a tap-in.

``I could stand up there the rest of the day and not hit it that close,'' he said. ``They really were three unbelievable pars. Then I hit a good shot on 12 and I kind of settled down after that.''

Did he ever.

After chipping within 2 feet for birdie at the par-5 13th hole, Calcavecchia rolled in four straight birdie puts to match his best round of the season.

Calcavecchia has played a lot of golf in his career, but said he can't ever remember three par saves in a row like he had Thursday.

``It was ugly. I didn't hit a shot for three holes,'' he said. ``To make three pars there was getting away with three to five shots. Then I didn't miss a shot the last seven holes.''

Stankowski had a roller-coaster round of his own with nine birdies, five bogeys and four pars.

``It was one of those days where I was all over the map -- some good, some bad, some ugly,'' said Stankowski, whose best finish this season was 14th at the Touchstone Energy Tucson Open in February.

Meanwhile, U.S. Amateur champion Bubba Dickerson, who was making his pro debut, shot a 1-over 73 and was eight shots behind Calcavecchia.

``I hit it pretty good,'' Dickerson said. ``I just couldn't make a putt all day.''

Defending champion Scott Hoch withdrew Thursday because of vision problemsrelated to recent laser surgery.

Divots

The last golfer not to try to defend here was Rocco Mediate in 1994. He missed the tournament because of back surgery. ... Scott McCarron, who has won more than $1.27 million this season, shot an 80 and will hard-pressed to make the cut. ... Calcavecchia's previous best opening round here was a 66 in1988. He tied for 51st that year.

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