Late implosion spoils happy Paddy's day
NORTON - Despite a day that was ripe for scoring, what provided the biggest shock in the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship was the player whose name rested at the bottom.
Padraig Harrington.
To say it was stunning to see his 4-over-par 75 - tied at the very bottom - on a day when the field average was 69.135 is an understatement. To add more bewilderment to the scenario, consider that Harrington concluded his round with a triple-bogey 8 at an 18th hole that ranked where it normally does, easiest.
Yes, the same Padraig Harrington who has earned major championship victories twice in the last six weeks.
Not that the Irishman was burning it up - he was level par through 16 holes - but his finish did a number on his chances in this championship. He bogeyed the par-4 17th from the middle of the fairway, then inexplicably chopped up the 18th - again after having slammed a drive of some 310 yards into the heart of the fairway.
His undoing came when he hit a 5-iron a bit chunky and left it in the hazard fronting the green. He tried to play it out, but barely moved it. Then, with his fourth shot, Harrington's ball ricocheted off a rock and went so deep into the hazard he had to take a penalty drop.
The Irishman hit his next shot to 6 feet, but two-putted for a triple bogey at a hole that produced 6 eagles, 64 birdies, 7 bogeys, and a field average of 4.421.
As sloppy as the finish and the round were, the byproduct of all this is what is most alarming. Given that Harrington missed the cut at The Barclays last week to fall from fourth to 23d in the
Expect that to be the point on which critics of this year's FedEx Cup points distribution focus.
"If a double major winner doesn't get in the Tour Championship, that's complete and utter nonsense," said Ian Poulter, who is among those who think PGA Tour officials "overtweaked" the points system to get more volatility.
Mr. Consistency
Don't look now, but the unheralded one is once again on the move. Kevin Streelman, that is. He has been the most consistent American player you've never heard of since midsummer and nothing he did in Round 1 upset that notion. Try seven birdies, including five coming home, as he shot a back-nine 30 to get in at 66, five off the lead. "To hang in there and do that on the back was pretty cool," said the 29-year-old PGA Tour rookie after he tore it up to negate an outward 1-over 36. "My putting. I made everything on the back side." That has been the story of this season, because over his last eight tournaments, stretching back to the Travelers Championship in June, Streelman has played 33 rounds in 72 under, with a scoring average of 68.575. There've been three top 10s and five top 30s in that stretch and after making a serious run in The Barclays last week, he's right there again. "We'll see what happens. I don't have much to lose."
Thunder boomers
While Mike Weir (61) provided the afternoon fireworks, the thunder came from those following the most popular trio two groups back, Phil Mickelson (69), Justin Leonard (69), and Anthony Kim (66). While on the one hand Mickelson sits eight off the lead, the flip side of that is he was seven off the lead after opening with a 70 a year ago and went on to win. "Two under wasn't great," said the lefthander. "I felt like I could finish strong, be right in it, but I let a couple of shots go in the end." . . . Kim had six birdies, but instead was counting his blessings for Anne Morgan of Andover. "She helped me make par. I felt bad that she got hurt, but she took one for the team," said Kim, whose approach went wide at the par-4 17th and struck Morgan. The ball took a fortuitous bounce and Kim saved par, a key perhaps, because he had made his only bogey of the day at the par-3 16th. When he birdied the 18th, he got to 5 under and a tie for eighth. What did he give Morgan? "A big hug, and my love," he said.
Popular Poulter
Poulter saw the cameras and reporters waiting for him after his early-morning 70 and threw up his arms. "Why? Why? Why? I just want to play golf," said the Englishman, but he knew the answer to that question. It's crunch time for the final Ryder Cup spots and Poulter is very much in contention for one of Nick Faldo's two captain's picks. Then again, so are Darren Clarke and Paul Casey, both of whom did nothing to diminish their arguments. Clarke shot 73 -145 and is T-23 at the Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland, while Casey - in the Deutsche Bank field - came home in 68. Though he seemed at first disinterested, Poulter relented and again reiterated that he'll play his best here and see what happens . . . Paired with Poulter, Rhode Islander Brett Quigley shot 69 and while it only got him into a share of 47th, it represents a huge improvement over previous starts of 76, 73, 74, and 71 as he's missed the cut in each of his five starts here. Quigley was playing competitively after having pitched in for four straight pro-ams. But he was not complaining. "It's part of being home," he said.
Pitch and putt
Whereas Tiger Woods's double bogey in the first round last year added a bit of drama to the debut of the short, 298-yard, par-4 fourth hole, things were relatively quiet at that cozy piece of property in Round 1. With only minor tweaks made to the hole, it once again accommodated aggressive moves and players took advantage - 1 eagle (by D.J. Trahan), 46 birdies, and 7 bogeys. When crunched, the numbers came out to a field average of 3.643, ranking it second easiest . . . The par-3 eighth ranked most difficult, with a field average of 3.145. Only six birdies were made - by Steve Lowery, John Mallinger, Billy Mayfair, Jesper Parnevik, Briny Baird, and John Senden . . . The nine eagles? They came at the par-5 second (Steve Marino), par-4 fourth (Trahan), par-5 seventh (Jason Day), and par-5 18th (John Merrick, Ben Curtis, Richard S. Johnson, Chad Campbell, Jim Furyk, and George McNeill) . . . Daniel Chopra put in a call to the bullpen and Matt Rollins answered it. A representative for Ping, Rollins came on in relief for Mitch Knox, Chopra's regular caddie who went home because of a death in the family. "I did OK," said Rollins after Chopra signed for a 73. Rollins has experience in this capacity as he caddied for Ted Purdy in a PGA event and for Mark Hensby in a World Golf Championship event. "I only do majors, World Golf Championship, and playoffs," he said . . . The FedEx Cup Trophy, a sterling silver cup balanced on a solid titanium golf ball, will be awarded to the winner at the end of the Tour Championship Sept. 28, but for now it's on display at the 