Rejuvenated Janzen tied for Deere Classic lead
Lee Janzen stirred some memories and is tied with Darron Stiles for the lead after firing a 7-under-par 64 in the first round of the John Deere Classic yesterday in Silvis, Ill.
Janzen has not won on the PGA Tour since he captured his second US Open in 1998, yet he’s in position after an impressive start at TPC Deere Run.
The 44-year-old was at 8 under after birdies on the 16th and 17th holes and played bogey-free until the 18th, when he hit a bunker and missed an 8-foot par putt. He was off the course by the time Stiles hit a 7-foot putt for birdie on the same hole to forge the tie.
J.J. Henry, of Fairfield, Conn., Matt Bettencourt, and Dean Wilson were all one stroke off the lead at 65.
Last year’s winner Kenny Perry, who’s second on the money list, opened with a 68, while US Open champion Lucas Glover and Zach Johnson shot 69. It was not a good day for David Duval, who finished with a 75 and was in danger of missing the cut after a surprising three-way tie for second at the US Open last month.
This time, Janzen was the veteran turning heads.
“It’d be exciting; I would love to win,’’ Janzen said. “If it doesn’t happen this week, I still think that I’m capable of winning, and it won’t stop me from continuing to work on my game to get better.’’
An eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, Janzen has just two top-10 finishes the past three years. He’s spent much of that time trying to repair his swing with Mike Bender after leaving Butch Harmon, but the results have been slow coming.
One good sign for Janzen came in April at the
He was at 4 under through 12 when he birdied four of the next five holes. His 7-foot birdie putt on par-5 17th put him at 8 under before his mishaps on the final hole. That created an opportunity for Stiles, who two-putted from 3 feet for a bogey on the 17th but made up for it on the final hole.
Otherwise, it was a good day for Janzen, who also cautioned: “It’s only Thursday.’’
So he’ll wait before he declares himself back.
“It’s like starting over in some ways,’’ Janzen said.
European - Martin Laird finally came home and put on quite a show in the Scottish Open, twice chipping in for birdie on his way to a 6-under 65 that left him one shot behind Richard Green after the opening round at Loch Lomond.
Laird was born in Glasgow and would stand outside the ropes at Loch Lomond, dreaming of a career in golf.
He just never imagined it would take such a curious route. He was recruited to play at Colorado State and went straight to Q-school, where he earned a Nationwide Tour card. He advanced to the PGA Tour last year and played well enough to keep his card.
But he had never played as a pro in Scotland, or any European Tour event, until yesterday.
“I couldn’t wait to play today and I couldn’t really go to sleep last night,’’ he said. “I was ready to go, and once I got out here and started warming up, I was excited and ready to go.’’
Green, the lefthanded Australian, had shown good form coming to the final event before the British Open, with top 10s in Wales, Germany, and France. His swing deserted him during the pro-am Wednesday, however, and he spent nearly two hours on the range until he felt it had returned.
Green was satisfied after hitting a 3-wood from 250 yards to 35 feet on the par-5 13th, and the eagle putt that followed. That sent him to a 64 and a one-shot lead over Laird, Paul McGinley, Graeme Storm, and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
Buick Invitational winner Nick Watney had the best score among a strong contingent of PGA Tour regulars at Loch Lomond, opening with a 67. John Daly, who continues to play most of his golf in Europe after his six-month suspension on the PGA Tour was lifted, threatened to join the leaders until three bogeys on the back nine dropped him to a 69.
Also at 69 were Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy, and Camilo Villegas, all of whom played in the afternoon in breezy conditions. 