Jesper Parnevik fires 61, leads by four in Valero Texas Open in San Antonio

From WorldGolf.com News Services

Finally settling on a putter might have been just the spark Jesper Parnevik needed to get his career going back in the right direction.

With a new putter that he just put in his bag this week, Parnevik blazed his way to an opening round of 9-under-par 61 - his career best on the PGA Tour - to take a four-shot lead Thursday in the Valero Texas Open. The 42-year-old from Sweden recorded his previous best score of 62 last year in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Parnevik, who last won on the PGA Tour in 2001 and entered the tournament ranked No. 138 on the Tour's money list, sank birdie putts of 25 and 19 feet with his new blade. He also had nine one-putts in the round.

For Parnevik, the turnaround started when he picked up a new putter on Wednesday.

"It was a new putter I've never seen on Tour and as soon as I set it, placed it on the ground, I said, 'This is it, this feels great,'" Parnevik told reporters. "I putted okay with it in the pro-am and putted great with it today.

"That's how easy it is sometimes."

Parnevik's four-shot advantage is the largest 18-hole lead on Tour this year. His 61 also matches the season low first-round score, along with Brandt Snedeker, who shot an 11-under 61 in the opening round of the Buick Invitational.

Parnevik said he'd never even seen the putter before trying it out this week.

"Lots of times it's just when you set it down it just swings nicely and you see the line perfectly," Parnevik said. "It's kind of the way you set up to it and the way you feel where you're aiming and that's enough.

"All of a sudden you can start getting aggressive with the putts. You feel you can hole some."

Parnevik, starting his round on No. 10 at LaCantera Golf Club Resort Course in San Antonio, opened with a bogey before going on to birdie eight of his next 11 holes. The 14-year Tour veteran then recorded four consecutive pars before closing with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 8 and 9.

"Probably one of the better rounds I've played all year," said Parnevik, who has five top-25 finishes, but no top-10s in 23 events this year. "I mean I played half the year with a broken finger and played about two months with a broken toe, so I'm about healed up now and so it's nice to actually play a round where you don't have to work around injuries."

Parnevik said he suffered his injuries in two separate accidents. He said he broke his finger when he tripped over a suitcase and fell in his hotel room and stubbed his toe on a case of beer while trying to dock his boat.

"I was not drunk, but that was the problem," Parnevik said. "The case was full."

A group of 10 players trail Parnevik by four after shooting 5-under 65. The list includes Robert Gamez, Justin Leonard, Mathias Gronberg, Bob Tway, Matt Hendrix, Neal Lancaster, Daniel Chopra, Richard S. Johnson, Shigeki Maruyama and Dan Horsman.

Despite his stellar round, there are 30 players within six shots of Parnevik. A total of 66 players broke par in near-perfect scoring conditions that featured a light wind and temperatures in the upper 80s.

"I don't think it's predicted to blow very hard all week - that's kind of what makes the golf course start playing difficult," Tway said. "You get some very difficult holes out there, with the south wind blowing or when you have a front come through, a north wind. Other than that, the greens are pretty receptive and you have a lot of short irons. Guys are going to hit them close and make some birdies."

Parnevik is well aware of that fact.

"Of course, I've got to keep on being aggressive," Parnevik said. "I know this is a course where everybody pretty much can shoot a low round at anytime so it's not a course where you can start going on the defense and protect your score."

October 5, 2007