Perry bogey-free despite rainstorms
Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008
DULUTH, Ga. — Kenny Perry sloshed through the water-logged fairways, ducking under an umbrella every chance he got.
He also hit plenty of good shots on a miserable day at the TPC Sugarloaf.
Coming off a final-round meltdown at The Players Championship, Perry endured a steady — and occasionally driving rain — to claim a share of the first-round lead with a 6-under-par 66 at the AT&T Classic on Thursday.
The other leaders — Jonathan Kaye, Ryan Palmer, Jonathan Byrd and Parker McLachlin — all teed off in the morning, before a huge weather system engulfed the suburban Atlanta course. Perry rolled in a 14-footer to save par at the treacherous ninth, his final hole. “I don’t like playing in the rain. I can’t think of anybody who does,” Byrd said. “It’s just not a whole lot of fun. It’s a lot of work.” Perry’s bogey-free round was especially impressive in light of the soggy conditions and other hardships. Brenden Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks ) shot par 72 with an eagle, three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey. Tag Ridings (Razorbacks ) shot par 72 with an eagle, two birdies and four bogeys. Ron Whittaker (Little Rock ) shot a 1-over 73 with five birdies and six bogeys. Glen Day (Little Rock ) shot a 2-over 74 with five birdies, four bogeys and a triple bogey. Richard Johnson (Fort Smith ) was at 3 over after 14 holes with two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.
LPGA Sorenstam shoots 67 CLIFTON, N. J. — Two days after announcing this would be her final season on the LPGA Tour, Annika Sorenstam shot a 5-underpar 67 for a share of the first-round lead in the Sybase Classic. The 37-year-old Hall of Famer had five birdies in a bogey-free round. Two-time defending champion Lorena Ochoa was a stroke back. Song-Hee Kim, a second-year player from South Korea who has two top-10 finishes this year, also was at 67 along with Australia’s Rachel Hetherington, who has missed three of eight cuts and finished no better than a tie for 24 th this year.
PGA EUROPEAN Two lead Irish Open ADARE, Ireland — Richard Green birdied three of the last five holes for a 6-under-par 66 and a share of the lead with Jeev Milka Singh after the first round of the Irish Open. They are two stokes ahead of Bradley Dredge, Marcel Siem, Johan Edfors and Michael Lorenzo-Vera.
NATIONWIDE Price shoots 64 GREER, S. C. — Rick Price shot an 8-under-par 64 for a onestroke lead over David Mathis, Matt Hendrix, David Hearn and Pete Tomasulo in the first round of the BMW Charity Pro-Am. Rich Morris (Fayetteville, Arkansas Razorbacks ) is tied for sixth after shooting a 6-under 66 with eight birdies and two bogeys. Bryce Molder (Conway ) and Scott Gardiner (Farmington ) shot 4-under 68 s with five birdies and four bogeys. Craig Lile (Razorbacks ) shot 2-under 70 with four birdies and two bogeys. Deane Pappas (Razorbacks ) shot 3-over 75 with a birdie and four bogeys.
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