Times wires
Thursday, April 28, 2011
AVONDALE, La. — Matt Jones chipped in from 57 feet on his final hole for 6-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead with Bubba Watson on Thursday in the Zurich Classic.
Watson and Jones played in the afternoon in better scoring conditions after a strong north wind made morning play more difficult.
"The greens are perfect. And I played well," Jones said. "… I actually made a lot of putts today and chipped in on the last to finish the round, which is good."
Jones had eight birdies and two bogeys. Playing the back nine first, the Australian reeled off four consecutive birdies beginning at the par-4 16th.
Watson, the winner at Torrey Pines in late January, two-putted from 32 feet for eagle on the par-5 11th and had six birdies and two bogeys at TPC Louisiana.
He entered the tournament as a favor to his mother. "My mom always comes to this golf tournament, so when my mom says she wants to come, I'm here," Watson said. "And somehow I shot 6 under today."
Joe Durant, Tommy Gainey, Carl Pettersson, John Rollins, Nick O'Hern and David Duval opened with 67s.
Luke Donald, a playoff loser last week at Hilton Head in a failed bid to jump from No. 3 to No. 1 in the world, was in a group at 68.
LPGA: Grace Park and Song-Hee Kim shot 5-under 67 to share the first-round lead in the Avnet Classic in Mobile, Ala., the tour's only event in a six-week stretch.
Park eagled the par-5 13th and had five birdies and two bogeys on the Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Magnolia Grove complex. She won the last of her six LPGA Tour titles in 2004.
Park missed the pro-am Wednesday to rest her surgically repaired back. She has failed to make the cut in her three previous tour starts.
"Overall, my back's been better than it has in the last five, six years," Park said. "I'm feeling really strong. I'm feeling really good."
Kim, winless on the tour, had seven birdies and two bogeys.
Stacey Lewis, the Kraft Nabisco winner three weeks ago, was a stroke back at 68 along with Karen Stupples.
European: Top-ranked Lee Westwood finished the first round of the Ballantine's Championship in Seoul, South Korea, with a double bogey, falling six shots behind leader Damien McGrane (6-under 66). Westwood (72), who regained the No. 1 world ranking last week, backed off shots twice in the last three holes because of clicking noises from photo takers, dropping three shots in that time.
