Dean Wilson takes first-round lead in Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana

From WorldGolf.com News Services

When it comes to his golf game, Dean Wilson is the latest player to find out that sometimes, less is indeed more.

After playing eight consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour with little success, Wilson took two weeks off leading up to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He had to like the results Thursday, firing an opening round 6-under-par 66 at TPC Louisiana to take a one-stroke lead.

Afterwards, it was probably safe to say that Wilson was a little surprised with his round.

"A little bit, to tell you the truth," Wilson told reporters. "When I haven't shot too many scores under par, to come out here and shoot 6 under on a course which I think is a real fair test and in some wind like this, I'm real happy with it."

It marked the third time in Wilson's PGA Tour career that he has been the leader or co-leader through 18 holes. He led the 2006 Arnold Palmer Invitational, eventually tying for 10th, and the 2006 Northern Trust Open, where he finished seventh.

Wilson's round of seven birdies against one bogey was a surprise considering that the 2006 International champion had made cuts in just three of eight starts this year on Tour. His best finish was a tie for 29th at the Buick Invitational.

"I've struggled a little bit," said Wilson, who closed by making birdies on four of his final six holes. "I took a couple weeks off and just went home and tried to clear my brain and just play golf rather than maybe sit on the range and fiddle with my swing. I think that helped. I just tried to play a lot of golf the last couple weeks."

"Just a little lobotomy," Wilson said. "Which is what I needed."

Wilson enters Friday's second round with a one-stroke lead over Briny Baird, Peter Lonard and Chez Reavie, who all shot 67. Baird's round was aided by his eagle on the par-4 sixth - the most difficult hole of the day with a scoring average of 4.521 - when he holed out from 208 yards with a 5-wood, marking the first eagle on No. 6 since the tournament moved to the TPC Louisiana in 2005.

Baird's feat was even more impressive considering the windy conditions. Steve Elkington said No. 6 was playing similar to a par-5 hole in the morning rounds.

"So that's a double eagle?" Baird jokingly asked reporters when told of Elkington's assessment.

Baird, who was coming off a fourth-place tie in last week's inaugural Puerto Rico Open, said he and his caddie could tell that his approach shot at No. 6 was going to be good.

"It was probably going to get back there near the pin and anything inside of probably 20 feet would have been a really good shot," Baird said. "We saw it disappear. We weren't sure if it was in or not and then all four people behind the green went berserk."

Reavie also eagled a par 4, sinking his second shot from 215 yards at No. 12. Reavie was one of five players to post bogey-free rounds, joining Lonard, Jay Williamson (68), Cameron Beckman (68) and Steve Stricker (70).

Defending champion Nick Watney carded a first-round 71. He is trying to become the fifth player in tournament history to successfully defend his title, joining Carlos Franco (1999-2000), Tom Watson (1980-81), Bo Wininger (1962-63) and Byron Nelson (1945-46).

History hasn't been kind to first-round leaders in the Zurich Classic. The last time a first-round leader went on to capture the event was in 1992, when Chip Beck shared the opening-round lead with Seve Ballesteros, Brad Bryant and Jay Haas after 18 holes and ultimately edged Greg Norman by a single shot.

March 28, 2008