Patrick Sheehan just missed another record at the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, bogeying the final hole for an 8-under 62 in an opening round Thursday that also included a double bogey and 11 birdies.
Trying to become the fourth player in three years to shoot a 61 at Colonial, Sheehan pulled his drive at the 433-yard 18th hole into the trees. His approach landed just behind the green, and he stubbed his first chip shot.
Instead of a Colonial record, Sheehan settled for his best PGA Tour round and also matched the low first round on tour this year. There have been three other opening 62s, two of them 10-under rounds.
Sheehan’s 11 birdies averaged 23 feet, and only two were putts of less than 10 feet. His birdies included chips from about 45 feet at the 252-yard fourth hole and the 394-yard sixth.
“I didn’t leave a thing out there today. I got everything out of that I possibly could have, and more,” said Sheehan, a third-year tour player who never has won. “I didn’t hit it great, I didn’t drive it great. It was just weird how everything seemed to be going in.”
Sheehan had a two-stroke lead over Brian Bateman and D.J. Trahan. Kenny Perry, the 2003 Colonial champion, was another stroke back at 65 along with Kent Denver graduate Brandt Jobe and Kevin Na.
The chip at No. 4 started a string of five consecutive birdies that got Sheehan to 7-under through eight holes. The PGA Tour record score of 59 seemed well in reach.
“At that point, I’m apologizing to my playing partners because it was so ridiculous they were all going in,” he said.
LPGA: Christina Kim had seven birdies in a 6-under 65 that gave her a one-stroke lead over Siew-Ai Lim in the opening round of the Sybase Classic in New Rochelle, N.Y.
Former Sybase champions Gloria Park (2002) and Hee-Won Han (2003) were at 67 along with Miriam Nagl.
Paula Creamer, Yu Ping Lin, Soo-Yun Kang, Mi Hyun Kim and Heather Bowie were at 69.
Cristie Kerr, at No. 2 the only player among the top 10 on the money list in the field, opened with a 1-over 72. If she were to win here, the $187,500 first prize would have her overtake Annika Sorenstam for the top spot.
European PGA: Klas Eriksson, who spent three months in bed this season because of a liver virus, shot a 4-under 68 at the Irish Open in Maynooth to share the first-round lead with Nick Dougherty.
