Kendall shoots course-record 65 at Medinah

Skip Kendall was still groggy and sleep-deprived as he arrived at Medinah Country Club for a 6:49 tee time this morning.

What happened next was like a caffeine jolt.

"I just got off to a great start. And probably because I wasn't awake this morning. It was early," Kendall said after setting a course record with a 7-under-par 65.

Kendall, playing his first major of the season and seeking his first-ever tour victory, birdied six of his first nine holes and then finished with two birdies and a bogey on the backside to move into contention.

"The course record is nice. I didn't even know it was one and it's nice to find that out," he said.

"But where I'm on the leaderboard is obviously more important. I want to have a good weekend and see what happens."

Kendall, 34, has two top-10 finishes in his last three tournaments. At 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, he's not intimidated by the deliriously long course at Medinah that is measuring 7,401 yards.

He birdied two of the par 5s, the 588-yard No. 7 and the 582-yard 10th. And he saved par on the par-5 14th after his second shot hit a tree on the right side of the fairway.

"A lot of the length on the golf course seems be on the par 5s and par 3s. For me, they're three-shot holes anyway. So I'm laying up and hitting. I really don't think it's really playing much longer than what we play week in, week out, anyway," he said.

Three years ago, Kendall was on the Nike Tour. Since then, he's improved his game after revamping his putting, and last year tied for 10th at the PGA. He shot a 74 in Thursday's first round.

"I feel like I'm on an upswing. Obviously, I have a lot of confidence going," Kendall said. "I feel real comfortable out there, putting well. Hopefully, it will lead to good things. So far it has."

Tim Simpson, Scott Simpson, Jeff Sluman and Mike Hulbert all had 66s during the 1990 U.S. Open at Medinah, and Sergio Garcia had the same score Thursday in the first round of the PGA before being eclipsed by Kendall.

Harry Cooper's 63 in the 1930 Medinah Open was the lowest score on the No. 3 course in any competition. It was so low, in fact, that it forced embarrassed club officials into making numerous alterations even though the course had just opened.

Nine holes were renovated, and 600 yards and a watering system were added before the course reopened nearly two years later.

AP