Jacobsen's record day grabs lead at Chrysler Classic
By Associated Press
Published October 17, 2003
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Peter Jacobsen always enjoyed playing Forest Oaks Country Club. Then the course got a makeover and now he really loves it.
Jacobsen birdied his first six holes - and 11 overall - while shooting 9-under-par 63 to set a first-round tournament record and take the lead at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro on Thursday.
The course was redesigned over the winter by Davis Love, who opened it up by moving around several tee boxes while reconfiguring all 18 greens.
"Davis has retained a lot of the old course flavor, but also added a lot of variety," Jacobsen said. "The golf course is more like a roller coaster - some holes are easy, some holes are hard, back and forth. That's exciting to a golfer, nobody wants to play the same hole over and over."
The variety helped Jacobsen to the best start to a round in his career. He birdied the first five holes in Las Vegas last weekend.
"This is a personal best," he said.
Behind Jacobsen was Stephen Ames at 8-under 64, followed by David Toms and Shigeki Maruyama at 65.
Behind Toms was John E. Morgan, who shot 66 and was delighted to be close to the leaders. A rookie from England, Morgan's best finish was a fifth-place tie this year at the B.C. Open.
He needs to close the season strong to keep his PGA Tour card, and wants nothing more than to score his first victory.
Should it come Sunday in Greensboro?
"I would break down and cry and do a somersault," the 27-year-old said. "I don't know what I would do, actually. It would be unbelievable. You wouldn't imagine."
Actually, first on his list of things to do would be to cash the winning check and send it home to his parents in England so his dockworker father could retire.
"If I get a winner's check, or a second place this week, I will not hesitate," he said. "He's been there for 40-odd years as a dockworker, loading cars on boats and timber. A guy 57 years old shouldn't be doing that."
WORLD MATCH PLAY: Vijay Singh and Chad Campbell won easily to reach the quarterfinals of the European PGA event in Virginia Water, England.
Singh beat Alex Cejka 8 and 7, while Campbell defeated Fredrik Jacobson 6 and 5.
"If I play like I'm doing right now for the next two or three years, I'm going to contend for the world No. 1 spot. That's my goal," Singh said.
Thomas Bjorn and Tim Clark also won 36-hole matches, though both had to overcome deficits. Clark got past Stephen Leaney 3 and 2, and Bjorn beat Len Mattiace 4 and 3.
The four seeded players had byes in the first round and play today in the quarterfinals: defending champion Ernie Els, going for a record-tying fifth title, vs. Clark; PGA champion Shaun Micheel vs. Singh; British Open champion Ben Curtis vs. Campbell; and Masters champion Mike Weir vs. Bjorn.
Singh had Cejka beaten in the first 30 minutes.
The Fijian chipped in to birdie the first hole, dropped a 36-foot putt for another at No. 2, and was 3-up when Cejka three-putted No. 3.
"All of a sudden I was very comfortable with the match," Singh said. "A three-hole lead - I knew I'd be okay."
Els and Singh are the only former winners competing.
The tournament invites players based on a ranking system that takes into account performances in the four majors. The defending champion and No. 1-ranked player qualify automatically.
Top-ranked Tiger Woods, though, passed up the event, as did Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Davis Love, David Toms and Kenny Perry.
Singh trails Woods by just over $170,000 on the PGA Tour money list.
Swirling winds and unusually slick greens on the West Course at Wentworth held the scores in check.
Singh, leading by six after the first 18, was nine holes ahead after making a 33-foot birdie putt at the 24th.
Campbell, runner-up at PGA Championship, was five ahead of Jacobson going into the second 18. It only took five more holes for Campbell to be 9-up.
Clark led for the first time in his match when he birdied the 28th hole. He then went two ahead with a two-putt par from 60 feet at the 33rd, which Leaney bogeyed, and closed out the match with a birdie at the next hole.
MALLORCA CLASSIC: Damien McGrane carded 6-under 64 to lead Jose Maria Olazabal and Didier De Vooght by two after the first round in Pula, Balearic Islands. McGrane had eagle and six birdies on a wind-blown course.
Michael Jonzon and Stuart Little were tied at 67, while 12 players scored 68s.
