J.P. Hayes takes one-stroke lead in Children's Miracle Network Classic in Lake Buena Vista

From WorldGolf.com News Services

Entering the final tournament of the PGA Tour season ranked No. 123 on the money list, J.P. Hayes got off to exactly the start he wanted to Thursday in first-round play of the Children's Miracle Network Classic.

Searching for his first victory since 2002 and aiming to keep his tour card by staying in the top 125 on the money list, Hayes shot a 7-under-par 65 on Disney's Magnolia Course in the Fall Series event at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Hayes will enter Friday's second round with a one-shot lead over Cameron Beckman, Scott Verplank and Ryuji Imada.

"I played great," Hayes said in his post-round press conference. "(I) hit the ball real solid, hit a lot of greens (and) made a lot of 15, 20-foot putts, so it was a lot of fun."

Hayes had reached No. 71 on the money list after the Players Championship earlier this year, but he fell out of the top 100 following the Reno-Tahoe Open. Now, he's found himself in a situation where he's played the last six weeks in a row in hopes staying among the top 125, which would gain the 42-year-old full exemption on Tour next year.

"I would really much like to finish in the top 125, but if I don't, I'm still going to play a pretty fair share of tournaments - probably closer to what I usually play, normally, rather than a year like this," Hayes said. "I think I played 29 tournaments this year, and it's ridiculous."

Grinding it out week after week at this point in the schedule is something most of the top players, like Tiger Woods, don't have to concern themselves with. Hayes only wishes he could say the same.

"I think everybody would like to perform better and play less like Tiger does," Hayes said. "Unfortunately, not all of us can do that."

Hayes has also had to battle through a condition diagnosed as vaso-vagal syncope that often left him feeling light-headed and weak. In simple terms, Hayes' blood pressure would drop when it was supposed to be going up.

"I went to the Mayo Clinic and had a bunch of tests done, and finally got an answer," Hayes said. "It was something that I had been searching for for several months, and spent a lot of time in hospitals doing tests. Nobody had given me a good answer for why I felt that way."

To combat the effects, Hayes said he has to monitor his fluid intake and combine it with electrolytes and salt tablets because his sodium level gets very low.

"Therefore the more water I drink, I further dilute that situation and it does more harm," Hayes said. "In an effort to drink more fluids and get more hydrated, I can make the situation worse if my electrolyte level isn't sufficient."

Hayes started his round with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 1 and 2 before making another birdie on No. 4. He suffered a bogey at No. 6, but got hot on the back nine, recording birdies on holes 10, 11, 13, 14 and 17.

"I hit my driver well," Hayes said. "All my iron shots were solid. Obviously, I made a lot of putts. I made eight birdies. So I made my share of putts."

He hopes more of the same will continue this weekend. Obviously, a win would allow Hayes to rest easy, knowing he'd finish in the top 125.

"I'm in a great position to win another golf tournament," Hayes said. "I would be lying if I said I don't think about the money list at all, but I think that will take care of itself."

Beckman, who came into the tournament ranked No. 127 on the money list, said he's almost approached the seven-week Fall Series as an extension of Q-School, trying to get his card for 2008.

"My whole thought process has been, 'I'm going for it,'" Beckman said. "'Let's start right now. You've got nothing to lose. Let's see what you can do."

November 2, 2007