Ted Purdy was aware of the extremely low scores the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic produced.
It didn’t take him long to get into the swing of things.
Purdy shot an eight-under 64 on Wednesday, and that was only good for a share of the lead — a fifth of it, to be precise.
Duffy Waldorf, Fred Funk, Robert Damron and Joe Ogilvie also came in with 64s to open the five-day tournament.
Purdy enjoyed his first round in the desert event.
”This is the first time I’ve been eligible to play here,” he said. ”I’ve tried to get exemptions in the past, but have not been successful at that. I earned my way in this year.”
The 31-year-old Purdy, who seems to be improving with age, said he took birdies as they came during his Hope debut.
”When you start forcing birdies, they don’t necessarily come,” he said after logging eight birdies and no bogeys at Tamarisk Country Club, one of four courses used the first four days of the tournament.
Purdy, who had a pair of second-place finishes last year during his second full season on the tour, particularly enjoyed playing with amateurs during the first round of the Hope.
The pros all have amateur partners the first four days, which some players might find distracting.
Not Purdy.
”The amateurs are the ones that pay my pay cheque. They’re the ones that support the tour,” Purdy said. ”It’s great to get to play with the people that support us.
”I have yet to have an amateur partner I didn’t enjoy. This is one of our ways of giving back to them.”
He said it’s also fun to have partners cheering him on.
”They’re just a great support, different than when you play in a threesome on the PGA Tour where the other two guys in your group are not necessarily rooting for you,” Purdy said.
His good round left him in the thick of a top-heavy leaderboard.
Fred Couples, the 1998 champion, had a 65 and was in another group of five, one shot behind the leaders.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson, who also won the event in 2002, shot a 66 and was tied with six others.
Only 13 of the 128 players went over par during the first 18 holes of the 90-hole event.
Mike Weir, the 2003 Hope champion, opened with a 71. Although it’s a decent round in most tournaments, it left him tied for 93rd.
Waldorf put together his 64 with good play around and on the greens.
”Accuracy and good putting for me today,” Waldorf said. ”I putted the best I’ve putted this year, really had good pace on the ball and was reading the greens well.”
Couples was pleased with his round, but cautious about getting greedy.
”You can’t go around thinking you’re going to shoot seven under out here every day,” he said. ”What I’m trying to pay attention to is how I’m hitting the ball.
”What I did today is I really drove the ball well, compared to San Diego, where I was everywhere. Today I hit the ball long and straight and the course played easy.”
After rotating among the four courses during the pro-am, the low-70s pros and ties play the final round on Sunday at PGA West. — Sapa-AP