Peterson leads at Quail Hollow

CHARLOTTE, N.C. » John Peterson started his rookie season on the PGA Tour about the time Tiger Woods started to experience back problems. One of them is closer to walking away than the other.

Peterson, the 29-year-old free spirit who has pledged to retire from golf’s vagabond lifestyle if he doesn’t earn enough money to keep his card in three events, made back-to-back eagles late in the opening round Thursday for a 6-under 65 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Woods had an unspectacular round of 71 in his return to Quail Hollow after a sixyear absenceand figured it would keep him and everyone else fairly close to the lead on a course that made it tough for anyone to get separation.

Johnson Wagner, a member at Quail Hollow, also had back-to-back eagles He wound up in the group of five players at 67 that included PGA Tour rookie Keith Mitchell and Tyrrell Hatton.

Rory McIlroy, a two-time winner at Wells Fargo, was among 10 players at 68. Paul Casey and Jason Day were among seven players at 69.

Even with Peterson’s big finish, there was some truth to Woods’ assessment when he finished at 71.

“The way this golf course is set up and the way it’s playing right now, the guys are going to be stacked,” Woods said. “We’re all going to be close. There’s going to be probably, I’m guessing, 15 guys or so with a chance on Sunday.”