Taylor takes lead at Pebble Beach
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Nick Taylor opened with an eagle, closed with two birdies and made a gorgeous day feel even better with an 8-under 63 at Monterey Peninsula that gave him the lead Thursday in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Most of the interest over three courses in the rotation was at Spyglass Hill, which featured Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, along with five NFL quarterbacks that included Peyton Manning and his recently retired brother, Eli.
The iconic scenery is at Pebble Beach, especially when the surf turns a turquoise hue under so much sunshine.
Taylor went about his business quietly, and most effectively.
Starting on the back nine at Monterey Peninsula, with a chilly breeze at his back, he hit 4-iron to a back pin that settled 4 feet away for an eagle, hit 3-iron out of the rough for a two-putt birdie on the par-5 16th and knew he was playing well when he hit 4-iron to 10 feet on the first hole, a 495-yard par 4 that feels even longer when the air is cold at sea level.
Better still was the finish – a 5-iron back toward the ocean to 5 feet, and then a wind-aided 3-iron from 240 yards on a back tee he had never seen to 20 feet.
“A nice start,” Taylor said, referring to his 4-iron that set up eagle and the 63 that matched his low round on the tour.
“The weather helps out. If it’s raining, it’s windy, five-and-a-half hours is a long round. But we were very relaxed today, joked all day, and I felt like the mood was great.”
He led by two shots to par over Patrick Cantlay (Spyglass) and Chase Seiffert (Pebble Beach), who each had a 6-under 66.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson, whose thirdplace finish in Saudi Arabia last week was his best result in a year, was slightly disappointed with his 68 at Spyglass because of how well he felt he hit it off the tee.
“I drove it like a stallion,” said Mickelson, a phrase he once used in describing his play at the $9 million payper-view match he won against Tiger Woods in Las Vegas.
Vic Open
BARWON HEADS, Australia – English veteran Laura Davies played her first competitive round in six months due to her mother’s illness and shot a 6-under 67 to be two shots off the lead at the LPGA-sanctioned Vic Open.
The tournament features male and female pros teeing off in alternate groups on two courses.
The 56-year-old Davies played the Creek course at the 13th Beach Golf Links.
Madelene Sagstrom shares the lead after shooting a 65 in the same group as Davies and Karrie Webb, who shot 75.
South Korean Haeji Kang also shot 65.