Nissan Open
Valencia Country Club
Valencia, California
26th February - 1st March 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $2.1 million

First Round Report

First Round Scores

Mayfair leads Nissan Open first round

Valencia, California 26th February 1998 - Billy Mayfair overcame a steady wind with a steady hand, sinking eight birdies en route to a 6-under-par 65 and a one-shot lead after today's first round of the $2.1 million PGA Nissan Open at the Valencia Country Club in Valencia, California.

Mayfair drained four birdies on both the front and back nines, offsetting bogeys on each side. He birdied two of the three par-5 holes and climbed to 7-under before a bogey at the par-4 17th.

"I think I'm putting a lot better than I have the previous few years," said Mayfair, who is coming off a season plagued by injuries and a lack of confidence. "My biggest downfall last year was that I got frustrated."

The 31-year-old Mayfair has not won since the Tour Championship in 1995, although he did finish second at last year's Las Vegas Invitational. He leads late-finishing Stephen Ames by one shot.

Darkness left a couple of players on the course. A group of five at 67 includes Phil Mickelson and Scott Hoch. It is another shot back to Tiger Woods, Tom Kite and six others at 68.

"The key to my round was that I read the greens really well," Mayfair said. "The wind blew awful hard, but it wasn't as bad as yesterday."

Mayfair opened with a five-foot birdie on the par-5 first hole, then rolled in consecutive birdies at Nos. 4 and 5, both par-4s. He made a 10-footer for birdie at the par-4 seventh but followed with his first bogey when he sailed his second shot over the green at No. 8.

After missing a six-foot birdie try at No. 10, Mayfair regrouped and sank birdies of 15, 12 and 15 feet on the next three holes, all par-4s. He tapped in a two-footer for birdie at the par-5 15th.

"I've been playing pretty good, I just needed to make a few putts," said Mayfair, who has won $41,000 in five events this year. "Today, I made those putts."

The 33-year-old Ames, who was born in Trinidad and raised in Calgary, did not come into the interview room. He finished fifth at last year's British Open and fourth at the 1997 PGA Qualifying Tournament.

Grouped with Woods, Mickelson played bogey-free golf, sinking birdies at the second, ninth, 13th and 15th holes. He won the season-opening Mercedes Championships and is known for playing well during the early portion of the season, when the Tour is on the West Coast.

"I was really pleased with how I hit the ball," Mickelson said. "When I missed greens today, I got up and down pretty easily."

The tournament has temporarily moved from its usual home, the Riviera Country Club, which is the site of the 1998 U.S. Senior Open. The Nissan Open returns to Riviera next year.

Mickelson is looking to bounce back after missing a cut last week for the first time in 16 tournaments, dating back to last year's Masters. He also noted that the windy weather was a factor.

"The greens are tricky -- they're quick but they're soft," he said. "I was surprised to see the scores as low as they are. It wasn't that easy out there."

Woods, who has yet to win this year, is playing in his first tournament since tying for third at the Buick Invitational three weeks ago. He also tied for second at the season-opening Mercedes Championship.

Defending champion Nick Faldo, trying to become the sixth repeat winner of this event, carded a 1-over 73 and is eight shots off the pace.

Corey Pavin, who won this event in 1994 and 1995, stumbled to a 75. Previous repeat winners of the oldest civic-sponsored event on the PGA Tour include Macdonald Smith (1928-29), Paul Harney (1964-65), Ben Hogan (1947-48) and Arnold Palmer (1966-67).

David Duval, who won last week's Tucson Chrysler Classic, is not entered.

The par-72 Valencia Country Club course measures 6,977 yards.

First prize is $378,000.