The most notable moment of Nick Watney’s rookie season on the PGA Tour was when he played with Michelle Wie three weeks ago.
That is, until Thursday.
Watney shot an 8-under-par 64 to take a one-shot lead over Vijay Singh and Jason Bohn after the first round of the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich., leaving the leader seven strokes ahead of Tiger Woods.
Watney, 24, has missed seven consecutive cuts, only breaking 70 once, after his season-best 11th-place finish at the Wachovia Championship.
“I didn’t see this coming,” he said.
Watney was in Wie’s group at the John Deere Classic, where he finished six shots behind the 15-year-old phenom.
Jim Furyk (66) and five others will begin today’s second round two shots behind the unlikely leader.
Woods started the Buick Open confident and comfortable because he was coming off a five-stroke victory at the British Open and has always played well at Warwick Hills.
But he was cursing at himself, slamming his club into the ground and kicking his bag Thursday.
He finished at 71, his worst round at the Buick Open since his first in 1997, and ended his tournament-record-tying streak of eight consecutive rounds in the 60s.
“I drove it great, and then hit my irons terrible or left myself long putts,” Woods said. “Or I just didn’t make a couple putts or I dunked the ball in the water. Weird things out there.”
It was such an odd day that Woods was tied with a 17-year-old amateur playing in his hometown.
Billy McKay made an eagle from 127 yards at No. 16 – the shot of the day – to move a shot ahead of Woods only to fall into a tie with him after bogeying the last hole.
“I really wanted to make that last putt and beat Tiger,” said McKay, who will be a senior this fall at Grand Blanc High School.
Seniors: Craig Stadler of Cherry Hills Village shot a 7-under 64 to match the U.S. Senior Open first-round record and held a one-shot lead over Tom Purtzer with seven others – including Greg Norman and Tom Watson – within another three shots in Kettering, Ohio.
Stadler’s 64 tied the mark set by Bruce Fleischer in 2000 at Saucon Valley and matched in 2002 at Caves Valley by former Northern Colorado athlete R.W. Eaks.
LPGA: Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie had trouble with the strong wind and heavy rains at the Women’s British Open in Southport, England.
Jeong Jang sailed right through, however, posting a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke, first-round lead over 2000 champion Sophie Gustafson.
Sorenstam’s 1-over 73 left her five shots back in her bid for a 10th major title and third of the season, while Wie shot a 75.
The round was suspended because of darkness, with 30 players having to complete their first rounds this morning.
European PGA: Marc Cayeux shot an 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Barry Lane after the opening round of the Scandinavian Masters in Stockholm, Sweden.
