JIM FURYK FIRED a five under par 65, his lowest first-round score in 73 career majors, to seize the clubhouse lead Thursday at the PGA Championship while top-ranked Tiger Woods struggled.
Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion, has not won since the 2010 Tour Championship but the 43-year-old American fired six birdies at Oak Hill to launch his quest for a 17th career title.
“I had a good ball-striking day,” Furyk said. “I felt like the course would set up well for me. It’s set up like a US Open course.
“I missed one drive in the heavy stuff but overall a good day. It was good to get my feet under me. I got relaxed and settled into my game. I got on a roll and got a lot of confidence out there.”
Furyk opened with a birdie at the 10th, added a birdie at the 16th and followed with back-to-back birdies at the 18th and first. He made another at the par-4 fifth and yet another at the seventh to grab a two-stroke edge on the field before closing with a bogey at the ninth.
That left Furyk one stroke in front of Canada’s David Hearn with England’s Paul Casey, Australian Marcus Fraser and Americans Matt Kuchar and Robert Garrigus another stroke adrift on 67.“To be in this position is going to be a great learning experience for me,” Hearn said. “I’m excited about the next three days.”
Woods, a 14-time major winner seeking his first major title since the 2008 US Open, closed with a double bogey at the par-4 ninth to finish on one-over 71.
Woods, also looking for a record-tying fifth PGA Championship crown, began on the back nine and birdied the par-5 13th and sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-3 15th and saved pars at 17 and 18 after missing the green.
But Woods found trouble on the front side, missing a four-footer for birdie at the second and finding rough and a bunker on his way to a bogey at the par-5 fourth. He made a motion after his second shot as if to throw his club before holding onto it and his temper.
At 18, Woods found the greenside rough with his second shot and plopped his third into a bunker. He blasted out with his fourth but lipped out on a 12-foot bogey putt and sat well back with more than half the field still on the course.
Hearn, who grew up five blocks from ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky’s home, had bookend bogeys to open and close his round but was solid in between. He birdied the second, the par-5 fourth and the par-3 sixth holes, began the back nine birdie-birdie and added another at the par-4 16th.“It feels good for me to be in contention,” Hearn said. “I’ve really been playing somne good golf the last few months.”
Clear skies made for perfect playing conditions after an overnight storm did eased the formidable 7,163-yard, par-70 layout.
“Benign conditions this morning,” said 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell. “A bit of rain overnight softened the greens and guys were able to take it on a little bit. The pins weren’t brutal.”
Late starters included Masters champion Adam Scott of Australia, US Open champion Justin Rose of England, British Open winner Phil Mickelson of the United States and defending champion Rory McIlroy.
Fraser opened with back-to-back bogeys, birided the fourth and had back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh as well as the 13th and 14th holes.
Casey opened with a bogey at the 10th, birdied the first two holes on the front nine and answered a bogey at the third with back-to-back birdies on the next two holes and another birdie at the par-4 seventh.
Kuchar’s bogey-free day saw birdies at the 18th, second and fifth holes while Garrigus, also a back-nine starter, birdied the 11th, 12th and par-5 13th holes. After a bogey at 18, he birdied the second and fourth then ended with two bogeys and two birdies over his final four holes.
