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Triplett trumps Woods, Singh to take lead in Wachovia Championship
Charlotte, May 07: Kirk Triplett sets course record in opening round of Wachovia Championship.
Charlotte, May 07: Kirk Triplett sets course record in opening round of Wachovia Championship.
Kirk Triplett fired a course record 8-under 64 to take the lead during the first round of the Wachovia Championship. Triplett took a two-shot lead Thursday by closing his stellar round with three straight birdies, the last one from 45 feet on No. 9, just 15 minutes after Woods and his massive following were gone.
Triplett needed only 11 putts over the last nine holes to pull away from an enormous pack of players that included just about everyone except the three biggest stars at Quail Hollow.
Vijay Singh, trying to become the first player in nearly five years to win three straight weeks, had a chance to take the early lead until he three-putted from 18 feet for bogey on the last hole for a 68.
Woods carved out a 69, making his birdies with simple up-and-downs on the par-5s and finishing with two solid par saves - a 75-foot bunker shot to tap-in range, and a full swing on a flop shot 40 feet from the flag that stopped just 3 feet behind the hole.
Masters champion Phil Mickelson was poised to join the early leaders until he missed a 6-foot birdie on the par-5 15th and followed that with his only bogey in a round of 70. It was his 17th consecutive round at par or better.Fredrik Jacobson, Stuart Appleby and Brett Quigley were at 66, while the half-dozen players at 67 included former Masters champion Mike Weir, who had four straight birdies in the middle of his round and three straight at the end.
The feeling began when Triplett holed a 70-yard wedge for eagle on the par-5 15th. He picked up two birdies early in his front nine to gain momentum, and kept it by making a 10-foot par putt on the par-3 sixth.He got up-and-down behind the par-5 seventh green for birdie.
He pulled his tee shot some 30 yards left of the fairway on No. 8, but had enough of an opening to hit wedge into 6 feet. His confidence soaring he finished with a 45-foot birdie on No. 9 which rode down a swale and up a ridge toward the hole and in.
Leading scores after first round of the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club (par 72, 7,396 yards) on Thursday. (U.S. unless stated) 64 Kirk Triplett 66 Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden), Stuart Appleby (Australia), Rory Sabbatini (South Africa), Brett Quigley 67 Notah Begay, Mike Weir (Canada), Heath Slocum, Cameron Beckman, Jay Delsing, Luke Donald (Britain) 68 Vijay Singh (Fiji), Jonathan Kaye, Joe Ogilvie, Carlos Franco (Paraguay) 69 Joey Sindelar, Matt Gogel, Shigeki Maruyama (Japan), Spike McRoy, Jerry Kelly, Chris DiMarco, John Senden (Australia), Steve Allan (Australia), Arron Oberholser, Geoff Ogilvy (Australia), Tiger Woods, Billy Andrade, Mathias Gronberg (Sweden)
Other international scores 70 Jesper Parnevik (Sweden) 71 Aaron Baddeley (Australia), Stephen Leaney (Australia), KJ Choi (South Korea), Esteban Toledo (Mexico) 72 Richard Johnson (Sweden), Robert Allenby (Australia), Grant Waite (New Zealand), Hidemichi Tanaka (Japan) 73 Tim Clark (South Africa), David Frost (South Africa), David Morland IV (Canada), Peter Lonard (Australia), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Carl Pettersson (Sweden), Scott Hend (Australia), Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 74 Nick Price (Zimbabwe), Arjun Atwal (India) 77 Craig Perks (New Zealand) 78 Jose Coceres (Argentina)
Bureau Report
Triplett needed only 11 putts over the last nine holes to pull away from an enormous pack of players that included just about everyone except the three biggest stars at Quail Hollow.
Vijay Singh, trying to become the first player in nearly five years to win three straight weeks, had a chance to take the early lead until he three-putted from 18 feet for bogey on the last hole for a 68.
Woods carved out a 69, making his birdies with simple up-and-downs on the par-5s and finishing with two solid par saves - a 75-foot bunker shot to tap-in range, and a full swing on a flop shot 40 feet from the flag that stopped just 3 feet behind the hole.
Masters champion Phil Mickelson was poised to join the early leaders until he missed a 6-foot birdie on the par-5 15th and followed that with his only bogey in a round of 70. It was his 17th consecutive round at par or better.Fredrik Jacobson, Stuart Appleby and Brett Quigley were at 66, while the half-dozen players at 67 included former Masters champion Mike Weir, who had four straight birdies in the middle of his round and three straight at the end.
The feeling began when Triplett holed a 70-yard wedge for eagle on the par-5 15th. He picked up two birdies early in his front nine to gain momentum, and kept it by making a 10-foot par putt on the par-3 sixth.He got up-and-down behind the par-5 seventh green for birdie.
He pulled his tee shot some 30 yards left of the fairway on No. 8, but had enough of an opening to hit wedge into 6 feet. His confidence soaring he finished with a 45-foot birdie on No. 9 which rode down a swale and up a ridge toward the hole and in.
Leading scores after first round of the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club (par 72, 7,396 yards) on Thursday. (U.S. unless stated) 64 Kirk Triplett 66 Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden), Stuart Appleby (Australia), Rory Sabbatini (South Africa), Brett Quigley 67 Notah Begay, Mike Weir (Canada), Heath Slocum, Cameron Beckman, Jay Delsing, Luke Donald (Britain) 68 Vijay Singh (Fiji), Jonathan Kaye, Joe Ogilvie, Carlos Franco (Paraguay) 69 Joey Sindelar, Matt Gogel, Shigeki Maruyama (Japan), Spike McRoy, Jerry Kelly, Chris DiMarco, John Senden (Australia), Steve Allan (Australia), Arron Oberholser, Geoff Ogilvy (Australia), Tiger Woods, Billy Andrade, Mathias Gronberg (Sweden)
Other international scores 70 Jesper Parnevik (Sweden) 71 Aaron Baddeley (Australia), Stephen Leaney (Australia), KJ Choi (South Korea), Esteban Toledo (Mexico) 72 Richard Johnson (Sweden), Robert Allenby (Australia), Grant Waite (New Zealand), Hidemichi Tanaka (Japan) 73 Tim Clark (South Africa), David Frost (South Africa), David Morland IV (Canada), Peter Lonard (Australia), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Carl Pettersson (Sweden), Scott Hend (Australia), Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 74 Nick Price (Zimbabwe), Arjun Atwal (India) 77 Craig Perks (New Zealand) 78 Jose Coceres (Argentina)
Bureau Report