Fort Smith Classic report
Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/225187/
Co-leader feels fine, plays fine
FORT SMITH — First-round coleader Kris Cox was happy to be in the lead of the Fort Smith Classic on Thursday and feeling fine.
Cox, of Dallas, missed part of last season with a herniated disc in his back. He is fully healthy again and, finally, playing well.
He made his way around Hardscrabble Country Club with six birdies and no bogeys Thursday. Cox is playing in his fifth Fort Smith Classic.
“It’s the best round I’ve had in a long, long time,” Cox said. “That’s the best I’ve hit it in two years. I hit a lot of fairways and greens, close to the pin.”
Cox, 34, said his back feels fine — “Not like when I was 25,” he said jokingly — and he is just working to get his game back to where it was before he was injured. He has missed the cut in three PGA Tour events and five Nationwide Tour events this year.
“There’s a pretty fine line between missing cuts and playing well,” Cox said. “It’s the nature of what we do. You can’t beat yourself up about it.”
Langham steps up It’s easy to talk to the media when you’re playing well. Franklin Langham showed some character in talking after another bad round. Langham, the 2004 champion, struggled to an 8-over-par 78 in the first round but was gracious enough to talk about his game. Langham came to Fort Smith with eight consecutive rounds of 80 or worse. “It’s a work in progress,” Langham said. “It’s trial by fire.” Langham joked that he hoped a return to Hardscrabble, site of a previous victory, would bring some good karma to his game. He said he hit some good shots but not enough to salvage a solid round.
Langham birdied the par-3 eighth hole, but had a triple bogey and double bogey on his card.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming here,” Langham said. “You always enjoy places you have good memories.”
Langham said golfers playing well rarely think about their swing during a round. He said he has gotten into some bad habits with his swing and his focus is on fixing those.
“Right now, I’m thinking totally swing out there,” Langham said. “That’s a tough way to play.” Home-state hero, sort of
Michael Boyd can claim partial Arkansas status this week for the Fort Smith Classic.
Boyd, 32, was born in Little Rock and lived in the state for five years before his family moved to Kansas City, Mo. His late father, Dick, played golf at Arkansas, and his mother and father were born and raised in southeast Arkansas. Boyd lives in Tulsa after graduating from the University of Tulsa in 1999. He shot a 4-under 66 Thursday. “I can call the Hogs from time to time,” Boyd said. “Tulsa is almost closer to [Fort Smith ] than Little Rock. I call Tulsa home, but I have an affinity for Arkansas. I love the state.”
Some worries, mate Australia’s David Lutterus had a great round going when he got to 5 under par with three holes to play.
Then he bogeyed the seventh hole and followed that with a mediocre pitch on the par-3 eighth. Lutterus angrily slammed his iron into his golf bag before making the par putt.
Lutterus laughed when asked about Australians’ reputation as laidback and not prone to such anger management issues.
“Sometimes, mate. After a few beers, maybe,” Lutterus said.
Lutterus finished with a 4-under 66 that put him two strokes off the lead after one round.
“I’ll take it,” Lutterus said. “I felt I played a little bit better than that.” Golfer leaves mid-round
Chris Baryla of Canada injured his back during the first round and withdrew from the tournament.
Baryla, 25, was 10 over par after nine holes. On a seven-hole stretch, Baryla made four bogeys and two double bogeys. Overheard “There was not a whole lot of stress.” — First round co-leader Kris
Cox, after an opening 64 Hole of the day No. 10 PAR 4 LENGTH 432 yards AVERAGE SCORE 4. 290 RANK 1 STORY OF THE HOLE The 10 th hole proved a tough start for half the field. It’s a dogleg left that goes uphill to a tricky green. Tee shots have to find the fairway to give golfers any chance of finding a safe part of the green. Everyone is happy with par here; the 19 players at 3 under par or better made 15 pars, 2 birdies, 1 bogey and 1 double bogey. By the numbers 9 Number of times, in 11 years, the first-round leader shot a 64 19 Players at 3 under or better 70 Par for the course 70. 37 First-round scoring average Thursday 77. 6 Kris Cox’s first-round Nationwide Tour average before his 64 on Thursday