Exhausted Byrd grabs BMW lead with 65
Jonathan Byrd is running on fumes. But he's also sitting, rather uneasily, on the bubble for next week's Tour Championship.
That's why the 29-year-old from Anderson, S.C., who hasn't taken a break since the week prior to the PGA Championship, showed up for the BMW Championship (nee Western Open) in Lemont.
"This is my fifth week in a row," Byrd said. "Five weeks in a row is too much for anybody. I'm in good shape, but mentally I'm feeling some fatigue."
Apparently Byrd does well with his fuel gauge nearing "E," because he's the furthest thing from "E" on the first-round leaderboard.
On an ideal morning for scoring at Cog Hill -- though not for attracting spectators -- Byrd fired a 7-under-par 64 to take a 1-shot lead over Justin Rose and Camilo Villegas.
"When the greens are this soft, it takes a lot of bite out of the golf course," Byrd said. "The golf course just didn't play as difficult as it usually does."
Thirty-seven of the 65 golfers in the FedEx Cup chase beat par at Dubsdread as everyone took advantage of the day's "lift, clean and place" rules for the fairway and fringe.
Conditions were so benign, save a few swirling winds, Rose grudgingly admitted he contemplated shooting a 59 after going 8 under par through 11 holes. His brain didn't retain that thought for long, though.
"I mean, I never really got excited about it," Rose said.
Good thing. Rose bogeyed Nos. 15 and 18 to return to the massive pack.
"It's one of those things where you felt like you had to shoot something in the mid-60s or else you're just going to get left behind," said Tiger Woods, who posted a 4-under-par 67.
"I don't know why we went ball in hand today, but as soon as we did, you just knew the guys were going to tear it apart."
Woods merely toyed with the damp grounds Thursday, particularly when compared to the three years he captured the Western Open here.
Woods posted 6 birdies in his first 14 holes to challenge Byrd for the lead. Then he double-bogeyed No. 7 (his 16th hole of the day) to fall 3 shots behind.
Perhaps he felt out of place because there weren't nearly as many fans screaming "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!" wherever he went.
Tournament officials suggested 20,000 fans came through the gates, but that seemed a generous estimate. Woods noticed the change.
"This is about what we see for the Pro-Am," he said. "But today is the first round, which is so different."
Speaking of different, Woods' spot at next week's Tour Championship in Atlanta has long since been assured.
But Byrd ranks 30th on the FedEx Cup points list -- and only the top 30 after the BMW Championship are invited to next week's ultimate event -- so he needs a solid week to ensure his spot.
"It's really important to get in the Tour Championship," Byrd said. "It's a tournament I've never played in. I've never made the top 30 and I'm competitive. I want to be there."
Stewart Cink and Camilo Villegas are two more fast starters who feel a sense of urgency this week.
Cink (first-round 66) stands 2 spots behind Byrd on the points list, while Villegas ranks 2 spots behind Cink.
"Obviously, we're out here to win golf tournaments," Villegas said. "But I believe if I finish top eight (here), I will be in for next week. I would love to finish top eight."
Other guys fighting to climb into the top 30 include No. 44 Troy Mattson and No. 46 Pat Perez, who share fourth place with Cink after the first round.
To make it to Atlanta next week, they need to finish in the top 10 this week while hoping guys like Cink don't do the same.
Maybe they'll just adopt Byrd's attitude.
"I can't say, 'I've got to finish 15th this week or I'm not getting in,' or 'I've got to finish 30th,' " Byrd said. "I don't know what that's going to be because I don't know how the other guys are going to play.
"I might as well shoot to win the golf tournament."