Luke Donald was in the group ahead when Phil Mickelson blistered Spyglass Hill last year for a course-record 62. He remembers being amazed at the score, and hearing how it would be a long time before anyone else could do that at the Pebble Beach (Calif.) National Pro-Am.
“It only took 365 days,” Donald said Thursday. “I’m glad it was me.”
Taking advantage of weather that approached perfection, Donald holed out for eagle from 96 yards, strung together birdies and wound up matching Mickelson’s record with a 10-under-par 62 to take a one-shot lead over Mike Weir.
After missing a 10-foot birdie putt on his opening hole, No. 10, Donald ran off three consecutive birdies, one of those a 45-foot putt on the par-3 12th.
Then came his sand wedge from 96 yards to a hole location on the front shelf of the green that dropped for eagle, and another birdie on the 15th.
His round went so well that when he hit 6-iron into 12 feet on the ninth hole, it was the same putt he had Wednesday during a practice round, so he knew the break. And he knew what it meant.
“I knew that was for 62,” he said.
Mickelson, meanwhile, made the turn in 37 at Poppy Hills, but he finished with a flourish – birdie-birdie-eagle – for a 67 and was tied for 10th.
PGA European/Australasian/Asian Tour: Kevin Stadler, a graduate of Kent Denver, and defending champion Adam Scott shot 8-under 64s to share the first-round lead at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia. K.J. Choi was at 65.
