PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Matt Every made the best of the worst conditions Thursday at Innisbrook. Danny Lee, finally, seems to be playing good golf in any weather.
They were among a four-way tie for the lead after the opening round of the Valspar Championship, a day so challenging that 3-under 68 was the highest score to lead after the first round in the 14-year history of this event.
Pat Perez and Greg Chalmers also had 68s to share the lead.
Every was the only one among the leaders to play in the morning, when the temperatures were in the mid-50s and felt even colder because of a strong wind. He had three birdies on his last four holes, all of them about 15 feet or longer, and was five shots better than he would have hoped when he teed off.
The temperature warmed under full sunshine in the afternoon, though that only helped a little. Only three players broke 70 in the morning, with the average score nearly 3½ shots over par. Eight players broke 70 in the afternoon, and the average for the day turned out to be 72.6.
Lee was in the last group, and how he got to Tampa Bay explains why he was one of the leaders.
The former U.S. Amateur champion had missed every cut this year, and six straight dating to the OHL Classic in Mexico last November. That changed last week in the Puerto Rico Open, when he posted all four rounds in the 60s to finish second to Chesson Hadley.
That got him into the field at Innisbrook, and Lee kept right on rolling.
He ran off three birdies in five holes to start his round and was the only player all day to reach 4 under with a birdie on the par-5 first. He dropped his only shot on No. 6 when he failed to get up-and-down from the bunker.
Woods’ ex-caddie regrets TV interview
SYDNEY — The ex-caddie of Tiger Woods says his one regret was his television interview on the 18th green after Adam Scott won at Firestone.
Scott won the Bridgestone Invitational in 2011, and Steve Williams got most of the attention for an interview right after the tournament ended. Williams had spent 12 years with Woods until getting fired a month earlier and told David Feherty of CBS Sports, “I’ve caddied for 33 years — 145 wins now — and that’s the best win I’ve ever had.”
In an interview with Fox Sports Australia this week, Williams said it was a mistake.
By wire sources