Buick Invitational
Torrey Pines Country Club
San Diego, California
5th - 8th February 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $2.1 million

First Round Report

First Round Scores

Love III blisters North Course for 62

La Jolla, California, 5th February - Reigning PGA Championship winner Davis Love III came within one stroke of matching the course record today and holds a one-stroke lead after the first round of the $2.1 million Buick Invitational at the Torrey Pines Country Club in San Diego.

Love, who won here in 1996, finished with a 10-under-par 62, torching the 6,592-yard North Course with eight birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round. He leads four players -- Fuzzy Zoeller, Bob Tway, Steve Jurgensen and Jeff Sanday -- by one stroke.

All five golfers atop the leaderboard played the North Course, which is more than 400 yards shorter than the South Course, which will be used for the final two rounds. Both courses are par-72s.

Defending champion Mark O'Meara, who struggled last week at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, shot a 71 on the South Course. O'Meara is trying to become just the second golfer to defend a title at Torrey Pines. J.C. Snead won in 1975-76.

Because of the rains that have plagued the California area the past two weeks, tournament officials opted to move Friday's tee times up two hours to ensure everyone gets a chance to complete their second rounds.

The Pebble Beach Pro-Am, already shortened to 54 holes due to rain, was not able to complete its final round last Sunday. The round was rescheduled for March 2nd, an unprecedented move by the PGA Tour.

First prize is $378,000.