Australian Robert Allenby fired a nine-under 63 here on Wednesday to seize a two-shot first round lead in the $5-million, five round Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
Allenby, who began on the back nine at La Quinta Country Club, carded a 32 on his first nine holes that included a pair of putts of more than 20 feet.
Allenby went on to complete his bogey-free round with birdies on four of his last five holes.
He held a two-shot lead over Americans Mark Calcavecchia and Craig Kanada, both of whom played without a bogey en route to their 65s.
The start of the five-round event was delayed by frost on all four of the desert courses used in the event, which features professionals playing with amateurs and celebrities.
All four courses had a delay of at least half an hour.
The frost was fortuitous for Allenby. Although he arrived at the course well before his tee time, he had left his putter in his hotel room.
”I came all the way out to the golf course and then realised it wasn’t there,” Allenby said. ”So I sent my trainer back to get it.”
It didn’t let him down, as Allenby sank several putts of more than 20 feet for birdie, though it was the rest of his game that was really sharp.
Allenby hit every fairway and green in the bogey-free round.
”I played well tee to green,” Allenby said. ”I played really well and I made a lot of putts, obviously.”
Eight golfers, including Scott Verplank and Jason Gore, were three strokes behind Allenby.
Masters champion Phil Mickelson, making his 2007 debut, carded two-under 70.
Mickelson, the only player in the top 30 of the World Golf Rankings entered here, launched his round with a birdie, but then went bogey-bogey-double bogey. He followed with birdies on the next two holes and ran off four consecutive birdies on the back nine.
The popular lefthander won here in 2002 and 2004. He is hoping a return will help him rebound from the setbacks he suffered late in 2006.
After winning the Masters, Mickelson needed just a par at the final hole of the US Open for his third straight major title.
But he botched the hole and the tournament and never really recovered, finishing no higher than 16th in five ensuing events and playing poorly at the Ryder Cup.
”It was erratic,” Mickelson said of his effort. ”I hit a lot of great shots. I hit a lot of poor shots. It was a good round of two-under-par.”
Allenby said the enthusiasm of the scorekeeper following his group was a little surprising.
The scorekeeper was trying to be nice to me, but I don’t think he was all there today, Allenby said. Every time I made a birdie, he came up trying to shake my hand. Not quite sure what the situation was there.
The distraction proved to be constant.
”We had to tell him to move out of the way every shot and he was pretty keen to get that score in just as I was about to tee off on the next hole,” Allenby said laughing. ”It was a fun day.”
Kanada had his own distractions to deal with, as one of the professional players paired with celebrities.
While Allenby and Calcavecchia avoided the celebrities — who included boxer Oscar de la Hoya — Kanada will be playing with them for the first four days.
”I enjoy the atmosphere,” Kanada said. ”I like the celebrities being around and that kind of fuels me and gets me going.”
Kanada is just happy to be playing on the PGA Tour. Absent from the tour since 2001, Kanada refocused on his game and finished 11th last year on the Nationwide Tour Money List to earn his tour card.
”I’ve surrounded myself with some better people the last few years and that’s the biggest difference,” Kanada said. ”My goal is to just be patient and to just try to hit the great shot with the next shot. It’s been six years since I’ve been out here, so I don’t know what to expect from me.”
Calcavecchia kept his tour card after winning in 2005, but he hasn’t done much since his win at the Bell Canadian Open two years ago.
This event has always been good to the 46-year-old, who has had several top-10 finishes here.
”I like playing here,” he said. ”I always can get some confidence going here and the greens are usually perfect.” – Sapa-AFP