American Bubba Watson shrugged off a dose of post-Masters rust and eagled the par-five 11th on his way to a share of the lead in the opening round of the New Orleans Classic Thursday. The long-hitting left-hander fired a sparkling six-under-par 66 to take early control at the TPC Louisiana before being caught late in the day by Australian Matt Jones, who birdied his last two holes.
Former world number one David Duval opened with a flawless 67 to finish level with fellow Americans Joe Durant, Tommy Gainey and John Rollins, Swede Carl Pettersson and Australian Nick O’Hern. Watson, making his first appearance on the PGA Tour since tying for 38th at the Masters three weeks ago, made a faltering start when he bogeyed the opening hole. “I told my caddie it was going to be rough,” the 32-year-old said. “Took two weeks off after Augusta and I just started working out again about three days ago, so my body’s just not where it needs to be right now.
“I told him I couldn’t feel my tee shot on the first hole. I couldn’t feel the ball hit the club face. I just pulled it and then plugged it into the bunker and made a quick bogey.” Despite also pulling his tee shot into a fairway bunker at the par-five second, Watson recovered in style, hitting his third shot there to a foot for a tap-in birdie. “Then I played solid the rest of the way,” Watson, who clinched his second PGA Tour victory at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, told reporters. “It got me fired up.
“I hit my driver really well. I’ve been hitting it good all year, but I made some putts today, hit some good iron shots and somehow came out at six under.” Watson set up his eagle at the 11th with a booming 343-yard drive followed by a soaring six-iron over a cypress tree that landed 32 feet from the pin. He coolly rammed in the putt to break clear of a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.
“Hitting a six-iron, that tree’s not really in play,” Watson, who is renowned for his ability to bend the ball at will, said of his second shot on 11. “So I went right over the top of it with just a straight ball. I can actually hit one straight every once in a while,” he added with a smile. Among the other big names in the field, British world number three Luke Donald carded a bogey-free 68 while ninth-ranked American Steve Stricker returned a 70.
U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland experienced a topsy-turvy day, combining five birdies with three double-bogeys for a 73. Rumford grabs lead at Ballantine’s: Australian Brett Rumford, looking to go one better than his second place last year, shot a flawless nine-under-par 63 to take a three-shot lead midway through the $2.8 million (1.6 million pounds) Ballantine’s Championship Friday.
The 33-year-old bagged four birdies on his outward nine and added five on the way home for a 10-under total of 134 after two rounds to top the leaderboard from Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and Dane Soren Kjeldsen, who shared second on seven-under.
World number one Lee Westwood just missed an eight-foot putt for an eagle at his final hole and had to be satisfied with a 68 and a share of 11th, six shots off the pace.
Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez finished his round with two successive birdies for a 67, while Dane Soren Kjeldsen picked up five shots on his back nine to card a 66. Ireland’s overnight leader Damien McGrane bogeyed two of his last four holes to slump to a par 72 and a tie for fourth on six-under with Britons Rhys Davies and James Morrison. World number 12 Dustin Johnson was a shot further back tied for seventh with three others after struggling with his putting on the firm greens at the Blackstone Golf Course.
Three-times major winner Ernie Els hit a second successive 73 to miss the cut along with local Yang Yong-eun, South Korea and Asia’s only major winner, and Britain’s world number 17 Ian Poulter. The tournament is co-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Korean Tours.