Herron takes unsecured lead at Pebble Beach
Tim Herron was so frustrated that he changed putters for the first time in seven years at a tournament renowned for having some of the most unpredictable greens on the PGA Tour.
Desperation slowly gave way to satisfaction Friday in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, Calif., when Herron shot a 2-under 70 at Poppy Hills and emerged with a 1-shot lead in a tournament loaded with possibilities.
"Everyone who makes the cut is going to be right in the tournament," said Herron, who was at 7-under 137.
The cut won't be made until after today, when the 180-man field has played all three courses in the rotation, but one look at the muddled leaderboard makes it perfectly clear what Herron is talking about.
A 12-foot birdie putt on his final hole at Poppy gave him a 1-shot lead over four players, including FBR Open winner J.B. Holmes and Nicholas Thompson, who was tied for the lead until missing a 20-inch putt on No. 8 at Pebble Beach, his 17th hole.
Holmes was fortunate to stay 1 shot behind after his tee shot on the 18th at Pebble Beach dropped into that big water hazard left of the fairway known as the Pacific Ocean. He took a drop, belted a fairway metal onto the green and 2-putted for par.
Jason Day, the 20-year-old Australian and youngest member of the PGA Tour, had a 70 at Spyglass Hill and was among a half-dozen players at 5-under 139.
Three dozen players were within 4 shots of the lead.
That group did not include defending champion Phil Mickelson, who played his final 11 holes at Spyglass with no birdies and 3 bogeys for a 72, although he still was in range at 1-under 143.
"This is the round that could've been," Mickelson said. "I really could have had it going. I had a number of birdie opportunities to be well under par and just gave it away."
Mickelson joins the movie stars and corporate VIPs at Pebble Beach today, when the tournament might finally take shape.
Allianz Championship: Mark McNulty holed an 86-foot chip for eagle on the par-5 18th for a 6-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead with Jerry Pate in the Champions Tour's Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla.
Pate, coming off a victory two weeks ago in Hawaii, missed an 8-foot birdie attempt on the 18th moments after McNulty's eagle. Jay Haas was at 67 along with Bobby Wadkins, Tom Purtzer, Scott Hoch, Keith Fergus, Gil Morgan and Phil Blackmar.
Defending champion Mark James was 4 shots back after a 70.
Australian Ladies Masters: Australia's Nikki Garrett holed a 118-foot bunker shot for an eagle on the par-5 fifth and finished with a 5-under 67 to take a 1-stroke lead after the opening round of the Australian Ladies Masters in Gold Coast, Australia. Six-time champion Karrie Webb opened with a 69. The tournament was reduced to 54 holes after rain washed out play Thursday.
Indian Masters: Ireland's Damien McGrane shot a 3-under 69 to take a 2-stroke lead after the second round of the inaugural Indian Masters, a European Tour event in New Delhi.