ORLANDO, Fla. — Davis Love III is trying not to look ahead and concern himself only with the tournaments on his schedule. He gave himself reason to hope Thursday that the Masters might still be on the list.
Love chipped in twice during a five- hole stretch that he played in 6-under-par early in his round, then finished strong with a 45-foot birdie and an 8-foot par putt that felt just as good for a 6-under 66 and a share of the lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
J.B. Holmes, among the early starters, played bogey-free in calm conditions and also had a 66.
Love is in a position that has become all too familiar of late.
He has only two weeks left to earn a trip to Augusta National, which he has not played the last two years. His only chance is to win at Bay Hill or next week in the Houston Open.
He knows that. He’s just trying not to think about it.
“It’s always in the back of your mind — or the front of your mind,” Love said. “After a few weeks where I played kind of poorly . . . I was just mentally kind of frazzled. I just said, ‘You’re going to have to just play the ones you get in and do the best job you can and quit worrying about everything else.’ “
He did a good job of that Thursday at Bay Hill, even after opening with a bogey from a plugged lie in the bunker. Then he came up short of the par-3 second hole, and that’s where it all changed.
Love chipped in for birdie, holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the third hole, and chipped in for eagle from short of the par-5 fourth green. Then came another birdie from about 15 feet, and a 4-iron to 10 feet on the par-5 sixth that he two-putted for a birdie. Just like that, he was near the top of the leaderboard.
Mike Weir of Canada had a rare moment when he reached a par 5 from a fairway bunker at No. 12 to set up one of his eight birdies on his way to a 5-under 67, tied with Henrik Stenson of Sweden.
Ernie Els was in the group at 68 that included Robert Allenby, who was atop the leaderboard at 6-under until putting his approach into the water and making double bogey. Steve Stricker had a 69, while Phil Mickelson was among those at 71.
Min’s 66 heads South Koreans at Kia
CARLSBAD, Calif. — Na On Min shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the inaugural Kia Classic at La Costa.
Fellow South Koreans Na Yeon Choi was one stroke back while Seon Hwa Lee and Inbee Park were two back, tied with Catriona Matthew of Scotland.
Kjeldsen, Lawrie share Andalucia lead
MALAGA, Spain — Defending champion Soren Kjeldsen and Paul Lawrie shared the lead at the Andalucia Open after each shot a 5-under 65 in the opening round.
The Associated Press
