Golf Capsules: Casey leads a gentle start at Innisbrook
PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Sergio Garcia would seem to have few complaints about his first PGA Tour event in seven months. On one of the most demanding courses in Florida, he didn't make a bogey and got right into the thick of things at Innisbrook.
The temptation to want more is never far away, though.
"Obviously, it was a shame that I didn't birdie some of the holes on the back nine," Garcia said after opening with a 3-under 68, a good score in the afternoon. "I feel like I'm hitting some good shots and some good putts. But overall, I think it was very good. Bogey-free rounds on this course is never a bad thing."
It was easy to expect better Thursday at the Transitions Championship.
Paul Casey made back-to-back birdies late in his round to lead the opening round at 7-under 64, the kind of round that Innisbrook allowed under some of the best conditions the Copperhead course has ever had.
There was a 70-minute fog delay in the morning, and when the sun burned that off, there was hardly any wind.
"Today was lovely," Casey said. "It was very benign out there. It was beautiful golfing conditions."
Casey built a two-shot lead over Nick Watney, who showed no signs of slowing down after his big win at Doral last week in a World Golf Championship. Watney was the leader after making seven birdies in 12 holes, only to stumble to a pair of bogeys for a 66.
He was joined by three players who faced slightly tougher conditions in the afternoon — Garrett Willis, Martin Laird and Scott Stallings.
Nearly half of the 144-man field broke par.
Garcia took a two-month break after the PGA Championship to restore the joy he has for the game. He played three times at the start of this year in the Middle East on the European Tour, and just now is making his way to America.
"I think that I saw a lot of good things, a couple of shots here and there," Garcia said. "But overall, it felt like it was very consistent. I was a little bit nervous, because of getting started and everything, but that's a good thing. That shows you that you're trying and that you want to do well."
Defending champion Jim Furyk led a large group at 67 after what he called "one of the better rounds I've played in a while." The group also included Honda Classic winner Rory Sabbatini and Justin Leonard, who believes he is close to ending a two-year victory drought.
Because of the fog delay, three players failed to finish the first round.
The gallery was as large as it has been in years. Most of them followed a featured group of Watney, Bubba Watson, and PGA champion Martin Kaymer, the No. 1 player in the world making his debut at Innisbrook.
"It's a fantastic golf course, one of the best I've played in America, to be honest," Kaymer said after a 68. "It's very difficult. You have to hit a lot of good tee shots."
Casey made it look easy at times.
He putted for birdie on all but three holes and took only 28 putts in a clean round, which he described as his best ball-striking round of the year. That would include the Volvo Champions in Bahrain, which he won earlier in the year.
Casey wasn't planning on being at Innisbrook. He won the Houston Open two years ago, but decided to take a few weeks off before the Masters this year.
"If you look at my history in terms of how I've played ... I've always struggled after victories," he said. "I don't know why — fatigue, whatever it is. But I've performed poorly. So we want to go back to being nice and fresh before the majors."
Watson had a 70 with a new look — dark sunglasses. He had to withdraw from Doral last week because of a bad sinus infection that caused his eyes to water so much he couldn't see. Watson blames it on pollen, and says he gets it every year he comes to Florida.
"I got into Doral this year, so it started a week early," he said.
He wore the sunglasses to help keep the pollen from getting in his eyes, although he took them off to hit shots. It was a different look for the big hitter with the pink shaft in his driver.
"I look good in anything," Watson said.
Watney showed no effects from the hangover of winning at Doral. He was so tired on Tuesday that he stopped after five holes of his practice round, but he came out firing when the tournament began.
"The ball just seemed to be going where I was looking, which is a really good feeling," he said. "I wasn't sure what to expect, but I started off great, and kind of ran out of steam there at the end."
Weir to miss Bay Hill as wrist heals
CLEVELAND (AP) — Former Masters champion Mike Weir has had a cyst on his left wrist drained and will miss the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week at Bay Hill. The Canadian hopes to be ready for Augusta National.
Weir had a tendon injury in his right elbow last year and tried to play through it until deciding to take off the final four months of the season. He says he is skipping Bay Hill because he does not want to make the same mistake twice.
He says by having the cyst drained now, it will be able to heal properly and allow him to play the Masters and the rest of the year.
Weir failed to make enough money the first two months to retain his card. He is playing the rest of the year on his status as a past PGA Tour winner and through sponsor invitations.
LPGA
Tour plays for free in U.S. opener
PHOENIX (AP) — The LPGA Tour found a way to return to the Valley of the Sun and add another U.S. event. The catch, the players aren't getting paid.
"This is a completely unique event," Commissioner Michael Whan said.
The LPGA Founders Cup, set to open Friday at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa's Wildfire Golf Club, will donate $1 million to charity — half to The LPGA Foundation and its LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program and half to the top-10 finishers' designated charities. The $1 million will count on the season money list.
"I think it's a very positive vibe from all the people that are following around," 14-time tour winner Cristie Kerr said Thursday. "We've had a lot of 'Thank yous.'"
The fifth-ranked Kerr is playing for her own Birdies For Breast Cancer foundation and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. On Saturday night at Desert Ridge, she'll receive the Muhammad Ali Athlete of the Year award.
"It's quite an honor," Kerr said. "I get to sit with Halle Berry and The Champ."
The RR Donnelley-sponsored tournament is the tour's first since Karrie Webb won in Singapore on Feb. 27. After stops the next two weeks in Southern California for the Kia Classic and Kraft Nabisco, the tour will be off three straight weeks and five of six.
"It's a little bit more challenging because I'm the kind of player that likes to play a lot," Kerr said. "I like to play in competition to feel sharp. It's hard for me to practice without having something to practice for."
Top-ranked Yani Tseng, the winner of the season-opening LPGA Thailand and three other worldwide events this year, also is in the field along with Webb, Jiyai Shin, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Hall of Famer Juli Inkster and teen star Jessica Korda.
Tseng, from Taiwan, is playing for UNICEF's Tap Project and Japan relief effort.
"It's not about money", Tseng said. "It's my honor to play this tournament."
RR Donnelley also will give UNICEF's Japan relief program $100 for every birdie and $500 for each eagle on the final four holes.
The tournament honors the 13 players who founded the tour in 1950. As part of the event, Hall of Famers Nancy Lopez, Betsy King and Patty Sheehan will play an exhibition round Friday morning on the tournament course.
"We're pretty lucky to be where we're at," Webb said. "At times, it's tough. but we need to dig our heels in like they did 60 years ago."
She is friends with founder Louise Suggs.
"I actually have a couple of great saved voicemail messages," Webb said. "I nearly erased them the other day and I almost started crying."
Originally, the tour planned to donate $700,000, with $200,000 going to organizations designated by the top-five finishers. The players then persuaded the tour to bump that to $500,000 for the top-10 finishers' charities. The winner's charity will get $200,000 and second place is worth $100,000.
"I've always thought the concept of this tournament was great," said Webb, playing for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. "Obviously, now if I play well this week, I'm also able to give back to a charity that I've been involved with for a long time."
Webb won the tour's last Phoenix event in 2009 at Papago. The 10th-ranked Australian star also won in 1999 at Moon Valley.
"I've always enjoyed playing Phoenix," Webb said. "It's a beautiful time of the year to be out here. It's generally not too cold and just a perfect temperature."
DIVOTS: The final nine holes of each of the resort's two 18-hole courses, designed by Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo, will be used in the tournament. The Palmer Course will serve as the front nine and the Faldo Course the back nine. ... Japan's Haru Nomura had a 4-under 68 on Tuesday to qualify. Amelia Lewis took the other available spot, shooting a 72 and beating Adrienne White with a par on the fourth hole of a playoff.
Champions
Gallagher to make tour debut
SAUCIER, Miss. (AP) — Greenwood pro golfer Jim Gallagher Jr. will make his Champions Tour debut at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic April 1-3 at Fallen Oak Golf Club in Saucier.
Gallagher will turn 50 on March 24, making him eligible for the senior circuit.
Gallagher is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 1993 Tour Championship. He also played on the U.S. Ryder Cup team that year. He played on the 1994 Presidents Cup team.
Gallagher says his brother, Jeff, will be his caddie.
PGA European
Lara, Dodd lead after 1st round of Sicilian Open
RAGUSA, Sicily (AP) — Jose Manuel Lara of Spain overcame an early double bogey to finish tied for the lead with Welshman Stephen Dodd on the opening day of the Sicilian Open.
Lara had nine birdies and finished with a 6-under 65, matching Dodd's earlier effort Thursday on the Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa course. Lara was in danger of losing his tour card six months ago but won the Austrian Open in September.
Dodd combined six birdies with two bogeys before a late eagle on the par-5 16th. He has won three times on the European Tour, although his last victory came in 2006.
Raphael Jacquelin of France and Anthony Wall of England were one shot behind the leaders. Last year's winning Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie put himself into contention with a 2-under 69.
