Gay emerges from a fog, grabs share of lead at 63
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Heavy fog allowed Brian Gay a quick nap, and he no longer felt so sluggish after traveling halfway around the world from Shanghai to Sea Island.
Gay had enough energy Thursday to make eight birdies on his way to a 7-under 63, giving him a share of the lead with Briny Baird among early starters in the McGladrey Classic. The opening round could not be completed because of a fog delay lasting nearly two hours.
Once the sun burned off the fog, the Seaside course was a pushover with virtually no wind. George McNeill ran off five consecutive birdies and was 8 under with two holes remaining. Will MacKenzie reached 7 under through 16 holes until dropping three shots in two holes for a 66.
The morning fog off coastal waters could not have been better for Gay.
“I was super tired,” he said.
Players were told the round would resume when the fog lifted. Gay didn’t want to stand around on the range. He also wanted to stay loose. So he took a chance by going into the locker room at Sea Island, relaxed in a leather chair for a quick nap and then warmed up for the second time.
“I felt pretty good when I teed off,” he said. “I felt like I had a lot more energy.”
The McGladrey Classic is the third event in Gay’s most unusual itinerary — four PGA Tour events in four weeks in four countries. He started two weeks ago at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia, then flew eight hours to Shanghai for the HSBC Champions.
He would not have played this week except that it’s only about three hours from his home in Orlando, Fla., and he loves the Seaside course. He will finish out the fall portion of the PGA Tour schedule next week in Mexico.
Scott Piercy and Boo Weekley also were in China last week, and each opened with a 67.
No one was as thrilled with the start as Baird, who is returning from surgery on both shoulders. Baird last played a PGA Tour event in 2012 when he started feeling pain in his left shoulder, and then his right shoulder. He tried a cortisone shot and rehab before he realized surgery would be required. He had the operations only a month apart, and then tried to return too soon by playing Web.com Tour events.
Webb Simpson, who won in Las Vegas last month for his first victory this year, was at 65 along with Kevin Kisner, Kevin Chappell and Seung-yul Noh.
Gay finished the HSBC Champions in time to get to the airport for a 6 p.m. flight home — nearly 14 hours to Chicago, two more hours to Orlando, a short layover in between. He tried to relax Monday, but he has been getting up in the middle of the morning and figures he’s a few days away from recovering from his jet lag.
There was nothing wrong with his game that a few long putts couldn’t fix.
Gay usually has his caddie read the putts, but after he missed an 8-footer on the first hole, his caddie left that part up to him. Gay didn’t use him the rest of the way, and he was helped by rolling in three putts from the 30-foot range.
“I wasn’t feeling very good at all this morning,” Gay said. “I’ve struggled the last few days sleeping and been really tried, but a nice day. Solid. Hit the ball nice, made a couple of long putts. Just a good day.”
McNeill had a few fleeting thoughts of a 59 when he made his fifth consecutive birdie to get to 6 under with eight holes remaining. He missed an 8-foot birdie at No. 2, and when faced with a tough par-saving putt he realized he should worry more about his next shot than his odds of breaking 60.
He had to return this morning with 49 other players to finish off the round. EUROPEAN PGA TOUR Woods struggles ANTALAYA, Turkey — Playing only 10 holes because of rain and flooding, Tiger Woods struggled with his driver and was well off the lead Thursday in the first round of the Turkish Airlines Open that was cut short because of fading light.
Woods and most of the field were unable to complete their round after the start was delayed three hours. He was at 1 under after 10 holes following a bogey on No. 9 in the next-to-last event of the European Tour season.
Paul Casey was at 7 under through 14 holes at the Colin Montgomerie-designed Maxx Royal course. Ricardo Gonzalez and Thorbjorn Olesen were the clubhouse leaders after 6-under 66s. Fifteen players finished their round before darkness halted play.
Organizers plan an early start today, with Woods facing a 20-yard chip shot over a greenside bunker for his third shot on the 11th when play resumes.
His playing partner and Race to Dubai leader, Henrik Stenson, was at 4 under. Montgomerie was at par after 16 holes on the course he designed.
Gonzalez had six birdies and an eagle mixed with two bogeys while Olesen had eight birdies with two bogeys. Three players, including Pablo Larrazabal of Spain, were two shots back in the clubhouse.