Castle Rock – With family and friends cheering along the ropes Friday, local favorite Brandt Jobe rifled a 6-iron to within 1 1/2 feet of the pin on the par-5 17th and tapped in an eagle putt to challenge for the lead in the rain-delayed first round of The International at Castle Pines.
Jobe, seeking his first PGA Tour win, recorded 13 points under the modified Stableford scoring system, including 5 for the eagle, and is two points behind leader Billy Mayfair.
Jobe grew up in Denver and attended Kent Denver High School but never has finished better than a tie for sixth (1998) at The International.
“Maybe I’ve put too much pressure on myself to do well here,” Jobe said. “When I was playing those years in Japan, this was the only (PGA Tour) event I’d get in, so I really wanted to do well.”
Jobe, who turned 40 on Monday, moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area five years ago. He hit approaches or chip shots close to the pin all day. None of his six birdies required a putt longer than 12 feet. He lost 3 points with a double-bogey on No. 11, after flying an iron shot into bushes, but recovered 2 points with a birdie on No. 12.
“Maybe it’s because I don’t live here anymore, but it seems much more relaxing this year,” said Jobe, whose best finish is a tie for second at the BellSouth Classic this year.
Mayfair also eagled No. 17, as did Charles Howell III and PGA Tour rookie D.A. Points, who are tied for third with 12 points. Geoff Ogilvy and Tim Petrovic finished with 11 points.
After Thursday’s round was washed out by steady rains, Friday’s competition went off without a hitch. Slugger White, the PGA Tour’s on-site director of competitions, said the remaining format will include 36 holes Sunday.
At the conclusion of the second round Saturday, a cut will be made to the closest number to 60 players for the final two rounds, White said, meaning the cut could be lower than 60.
Those making the cut will tee off Sunday in threesomes beginning at 7 a.m., from Nos. 1 and 10. No further cut will be made after the third round and the groups will not be re-paired.
Playing two rounds Sunday will enable players to leave Monday for the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.
“Sunday is going to be a long day,” White said. “I’m sure (36 holes) will affect some guys. It’s not going to be easy.”
Mayfair took the lead with his eagle on No. 17. He added 2 points with a birdie on the par-4 finishing hole.
Winless since 1998, Mayfair switched to a long putter this year and saw immediate results. He ranks 17th on the money list with $1,848,990.
Ogilvy, who recorded his first PGA Tour win this year at Tucson, birdied three of his last four holes, highlighted by a wedge shot to 2 feet on the 403-yard 15th. But his start was shaky. Ogilvy pulled his opening tee shot on the 644-yard No. 1 and it hit something after careening off a cart path. The ball bounced back in bounds and he managed to save par.
“I think it hit a house – pretty lucky,” Ogilvy said.
Two-time International winner Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia had to be disappointed with their first round. Both finished with 3 points.
Despite a round being washed out for the first time in the event’s 20-year history, players raved about the course.
“The fairways were soggy, about what we expected. But we were pleasantly surprised to find the greens pretty firm,” grounds superintendent Marshall Fearing said.
