Healing time at Bay Hill
Leaders exorcise physical and mental demons in first round
ORLANDO, FLA. – Nick Watney’s Achilles – his putter – seems to be on the mend. Tiger Woods said his problematic left Achilles tendon is just fine. And Charlie Wi didn’t take long to get over a very unlucky 13 he took four days ago.
Even Anthony Kim – a three-time winner on the PGA Tour who’s made only one cut this year – appears to have his swing back on track.
In ideal conditions at Bay Hill, Thursday’s first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational seemed to double as an elixir for players struggling with inner demons and looking to repair battered games.
Setting the pace were Jason Dufner and Wi, who took a 13 on the par-5 fifth hole Sunday in the final round of the Transitions Championship. Each shot a 6-under-par 66 to grab a two-stroke lead on Watney. Another stroke back was a group that included Woods, the only six-time winner of this event, Kim, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson and K.J. Choi.
Wi has been on the receiving end of jokes from his peers about his 13, but hasn’t let it faze him. In fact, he didn’t think about it the entire round.
“That was just a blip on the radar screen,” Wi said. “Actually, I figured I should have gone for some Tour record so at least I could be remembered.”
He’s best remembered this year for the four-putt on the first green in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-am, squandering all of his overnight threestroke lead. Wi came back that round and finished second.
Dufner is best remembered for blowing a five-shot lead with four holes to play and then losing in a playoff to Keegan Bradley in last year’s PGA Championship. He hasn’t suffered any lasting damage and has opened with a 66 in his last three starts on the Tour.
“It’s given me a lot of confidence to compete and try to win a major championship out here,” said Dufner, who is looking for his first Tour win in his 161st start.
Kim hasn’t been close to winning a tournament for some time now. The former Ryder Cup stalwart has been struggling with his game the past two years since winning the 2010 Shell Houston Open.
“I haven’t felt that comfortable on the first tee for a long time,” said Kim, who made his first hole-in-one on Tour with a 5-iron from 203 yards at the 17th. “Getting the ball in the hole is not an issue. Getting the ball off the tee the last two years has been a struggle. I know I can get the ball in the hole. I just have to get the ball in the fairway.”
The putting surfaces were causing Watney trouble, but a phone call to his sports psychologist, Morris Pickens, smoothed the way for better results.
“I putted really well and it’s nice to do that because that’s been my Achilles this year,” Watney said.
Woods didn’t need much help with his game. While he said he didn’t do anything great, he was solid in all facets of his game. He had no trouble with his left Achilles, either, which forced him to withdraw from the Wgc-cadillac Championship two weeks ago.
“Not in my mind at all,” Woods said when asked if he was thinking about his left Achilles injury. “I’m just out there playing. I’m feeling good. I’ve been getting treatment. Everything’s good. No swelling.
“If I can just keep it that way, everything will be great.”