| Memphis
Tennesee. 30th July, 1998 -
Former champion Nick Price, Paul Azinger and Russ Cochran shot
65s today to share the first-round lead in the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
Scott Hoch and 19-year-old
amateur David Gossett were in a group of four players a shot off the lead with
66s on the 7,006-yard, par-71 TPC at Southwind course. The others a shot back
are Mark Carnevale and Donnie Hammond. Seven
players were at 4-under, including Dudley Hart, who led in the clubhouse on Sunday
here last year before Greg Norman overtook him with birdies on the last three
holes to win it. Norman is off the tour now because of an injury. The
day was dry, breezy and steamy as the waterlogged course dried. The players were
allowed to lift, clean and place balls in the fairways. Nearly a third of the
156-player field broke par. "Apart
from the first hole I hit the ball really well," said Price, the 1993 winner,
who hooked his first shot of the day into a lake and bogeyed No. 1. He recovered
to post five birdies and an eagle the rest of the way. Price
and Azinger eagled the 16th hole, a 528-yard par-5. Price hit a 3-wood 265 yards
to within three feet for his; Azinger reached in two and sank a 40-foot putt.
"It was
just a real solid day tee to green," said Azinger, who has not won on the
PGA Tour since a bout with cancer five years ago, but said he feels his game is
returning. "It
would be hard to shoot 65 unless I was pretty healthy," he said. Price
and Azinger are somewhat rejuvenated this season, Azinger from his health problems
and Price from a slump that started after his big year in 1994, when he won six
tournaments. "I
don't know why it is starting to turn around," said Azinger, 65th on the
money list in 16 starts, with seven top-25 finishes. The most top 25s he's had
since his illness was eight in '96. "Everything
is just getting better. I think the big difference has been in my chipping and
putting. My putting was lousy for probably the last three years." Price
tied for fifth here last year and said he just picked up where he left off. "I
like this course," he said. "You've got to drive the ball well, especially
with the rough up like it is this year. That's one of the things I have always
felt I have done well on this course." Cochran,
a tour veteran who got his only victory in 1991, finished on the front nine. He
made the turn at 2-under, then birdied four of six holes in one stretch to catch
the leaders. "It
was hot out there today and I had good support," said the resident of Paducah,
Ky., about 200 miles up the Mississippi River. "When you look over there
and see your nephews and nieces and kids, your own kids, it makes a big difference."
The gallery
favorite all day was Gossett, a two-time Tennessee state high school champion
and resident of Germantown whose house is less than two miles from this, his home
course. "It
was pretty nice starting my second PGA Tour event, home course, home crowd. I
just had a great time," the future Texas Longhorn said. "It was a great
day for golf." DIVOTS:
Among other notables in the field, U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen shot a 69 and
was in a pack of 13 players, including Bob Tway and Scott Verplank. Justin Leonard
double-bogeyed two holes to finish at 72. ... Wayne Grady took a 10 on the par-4
12th and finished 11-over. ... John Cook, the champion in 1996 when he set a tournament
record of 26-under-par, shot 75. ... Former Memphis resident John Daly shot 73.
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