| San
Antonio, Texas, 24th September 1998
- D.A. Weibring wasn't sure earlier this week whether he'd be playing
in the Westin Texas Open or traveling to Illinois to tend to his sick mother.
With his family's
support, he opted to play golf. He wasn't disappointed. Weibring shot a 7-under-par
65 to take a one-stroke lead today after the first round of the Texas Open. "I
had some extra motivation,'' Weibring said, speaking fondly of his 73-year-old
mother, Estella Mae Weibring of Quincy, Ill. "I'm an only child, and I want
to do the right thing.'' Weibring
felt confident his mother, recuperating well after colon surgery, would cheer
his first-round performance. He reeled off seven birdies and enjoyed a bogey-free
day for his best start since shooting a 64 in the Quad City
Classic in July. Jim
McGovern shot a 6-under 66, overcoming two bogeys with the help of six birdies
plus a 10-foot putt for eagle on the par-5 14th hole. "It
was just one of those days. I hit the ball well off the tee,'' McGovern said.
"I know you're not winning any golf tournaments on Thursday, but you sure
can lose them.'' The
second round is Friday at LaCantera Golf Club. The winner of the $1.7 million,
72-hole event receives $306,000. Weibring,
playing in the afternoon amid a slight breeze, launched his birdie streak on the
par-5 10th, where he sunk a 12-footer. He had three more birdies on the back nine
and was 4-under at the turn. Three
birdies on his final nine holes, capped by a 3-foot putt on the par-4 ninth, put
the 45-year-old Plano, Texas, resident on top for the day. His biggest challenge
came on par-5 No. 5, where Weibring made a 7-foot putt to save par. Weibring,
162nd on the money list, has had a few bright moments on the PGA Tour this year.
But in addition to his golf career he has turned his attention to a golf course
business and his children's school sports. "I
really liked the way I played here last year,'' said Weibring, who has studied
the LaCantera course with the help of friends. "I felt like I had a better
idea today on some key putts.'' Weibring,
who turned professional in 1975, said he's pushing the final few weeks of the
season to make the top 125 on the money list and earn an exemption for next year.
"The ego
is, I've been an exempt player for over 20 years in a row. Now I've got four or
five weeks to do it.'' Behind
McGovern, tied at 67 after the first round, were Justin Leonard, Brandel Chamblee,
Blaine McCallister, J.P. Hayes, Stewart Cink, Mike Small, Loren Roberts, Hal Sutton,
Craig Barlow and John Maginnes. Defending
champion Tim Herron shot a 70. U.S.
Amateur champion Hank Kuehne, a senior at Southern Methodist appearing in his
first PGA Tour event, was even heading into his second-to-last hole, the par-4
eighth. But he got into trouble and had a 9 on the hole to move to 5-over. He
finished with a 77.
| 
