Turning Stone Championship round one: Iron will beats the bombers

Maybe lengthening the Atunyote course has worked, because the bombers were not exactly in the ascendant in round one. Joint leader Jeff Gove is certainly no heavy hitter - he couldn’t get his measured drives to average more than 274 yards when the distance merchants Thursday were reaching 310 and more with ease, even on these damp fairways.

The key to the first round was superior iron play to hit the greens and follow up with a hot putter, which is exactly what Gove did. Up alongside him is Chad Campbell, who wielded the hottest putter of the day (Gove was second and third-placed Steve Flesch seventh).

It’s hard to comprehend that Campbell, PGA Championship winner in 2003, has managed just two top 20s this season, with his last victory almost two years ago at the five-round Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (what was that about golf not being an endurance sport?). This is his lowest opening round since then, when he shot a 63.

I heard a little ‘ping’ in my head on seeing Flesch at the top, then spotting rookie Brendon de Jonge up there with him and Charles Warren enjoying a rare day in the sun two shots behind. Flesch won the Reno-Tahoe Open last month with Warren second and de Jonge sixth. Was this my eureka moment? Apparently not, as I then spotted some other Reno leading lights having a rough time of it, most notably Kevin Stadler, third at Reno but now tied for 105th. Back to the drawing board.

It looks like being a pretty movable feast at the top. Favourite Robert Allenby is handily placed two shots off the pace, but I worry about the way he’s complaining of being mentally tired after four weeks of the FedEx Cup. Maybe we should be paying more attention to John Rollins, the winner here in last year’s BC Open. I am one of those who discounted him because of the course changes and his modest form, although he too made all four rounds of the FedEx Cup. He needs to warm up that putter a bit though.