Matteson grabs lead ahead of Donald, Yang
GOLF: NORTON, Massachusetts, Sept 3 (AFP): Troy Matteson fired a
six-under par 65 on Friday to seize a one-stroke lead after the first
round of the $8 million Deutsche Bank Championship, the second event of
the US PGA playoffs.
The American opened on the 10th hole with a bogey but followed with
seven birdies, the last a 27-footer on the ninth hole, to nudge into the
lead in the event that decides which 70 players remain in the overall
playoff title hunt.
"The day was pretty much making a few short putts and making a long
one at the last," Matteson said. "I look at it like the end of the
school year. The end of the (season) is almost here, so let's just see
what happens."
World No. 1 Luke Donald of England, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel
of South Africa, South Korean Yang Yong-Eun and US veteran Jerry Kelly
were each on 66 with Australian Jason Day among seven players another
stroke adrift.
Schwartzel, who turned 27 two days ago, skipped the opening event of
the playoffs and slid from 21st to 28th in the points fight, with only
the top 30 reaching the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta in
three weeks.
He missed a hurricane-shortened event to stay an extra week in South
Africa but still likes his chances at the $10 million ultimate prize.
"I was sitting in South Africa in the sunshine and watching guys
struggle through the hurricanes and all the things happening,"
Schwartzel said. "But by missing an event you do put yourself a little
bit on the back foot.
"It just worked out that that was the one that I could maybe afford
to take off. To win (the playoff prize) you basically need to win one of
these events, so I figured I'll take my chances in the three coming
up."Suchwartzel - opened and closed with birdies Schwartzel opened and
closed his round with birdies and added two more on both the front and
back nines, taking his lone bogey at the par-4 fifth hole.
Matteson struggled in warming up but found his form as the round went
on.
"This morning warming up, I would have said if I could have kept it
under 80, I would have been doing pretty good," Matteson said. "Bogeyed
my first hole right out of the gate. That didn't really set the tone
very well for the day.
"So I looked at my caddie and said, 'We're just going to focus on
making some birdies. The birdie count hasn't quite been where we needed
it.'
"Before you know it, the first hole we birdied was (14), a long
par-4. Then we birdied 17, then we birdied 18. It's like, well, this day
is turning around a little bit."
He opened and closed the front nine, his second nine of the day, with
birdies and birdied the par-3 third and par-5 seventh as well.
"Your expectations probably lower a little bit, then all of a sudden
you make a few birdies, and it's like, well, that's not too bad, then
you make a few more," Matteson said.
"By the end of the day you're thinking, 'How in the world did that
day turn out the way it did?'"
Kelly, who also began on the 10th tee, answered his lone bogey at the
par-3 16th by sandwiching an eagle at the par-5 18th between two birdied
before parring his way to the clubhouse.
Yang, another back-nine starter, birdied the 12th and 14th holes as
well as the 18th, then ran off three birdies in a row starting at the
par-5 second hole before taking his lone bogey at the fifth.
|