Look at all the fun Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are missing.
An end-of-the-year bash for the top 30 on the PGA Tour money list turned into a final exam yesterday at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Retief Goosen and Joe Durant shared the lead at 2-under 68, the highest score to lead an opening round at East Lake, and only six other players managed to break par in cool, blustery conditions.
“You just felt like you had to hang in there,” said Goosen, who missed a 4-foot par putt on the 18th hole. “It's tough out there for everybody today.”
Davis Love III bogeyed the first three holes on his way to his highest score to par as a pro, a 12-over 82 with no birdies.
Perhaps the only consolation is the $1.17 million for the winner at the end of the week.
Not for Tiger and Phil.
The two biggest stars on the PGA Tour decided to take this week off – Mickelson also skipped last year – taking some shine off the final tournament of the year.
Jim Furyk took a huge step toward winning the Vardon Trophy for season scoring average – Woods did not play enough rounds – recovering from a nasty patch in his back nine to birdie two of the last four holes for a 69, leaving him tied with 2002 winner Vijay Singh.
Durant opened with four birdies on his first seven holes, including an unlikely one on the par-3 sixth. He thought his ball had sailed into the water and was about to take a drop when a marshal told him his ball was OK. Durant found a perfect lie behind the green, then chipped in for a birdie.
Azinger to lead U.S.
Former major champion Paul Azinger is expected to be named on Monday as the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the next match against Europe in 2008, according to the Associated Press.
Azinger, 46, played on triumphant U.S. teams in 1991 and 1993 and was unbeaten in singles matches where his two victories came against Spanish heavyweights Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.
