JUSTIN ROSE'S 63 LEADS BMW, SIMPSON, WILSON 2 BACK
JUSTIN ROSE FIRED AN EIGHT UNDER PAR 63 AND LEADS THE BMW
CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER ROUND ONE. ELMHURST RESIDENT MARK
WILSON IS TWO SHOTS BACK TIED FOR SECOND.
The BMW Championship finally got underway on Thursday, there was not
another day of blasting Cog Hill. In fact no surprise was that the players
who played well all seemed to like the course.
The player who shot the best was Justin Rose, who carded a 63 which
is eight under par and one shot off the course record. Rose's round included
nine birdies and just one bogey.
Rose didn't expect that type of score, in fact he called it his best round of
the year and on the "short list " of best rounds in his career. Rose and the
rest of the field of 69 other players where all greated by windy and chilly
conditions. The temperature was in the 50's as the players teed off this
morning at 10:20, there was winds blowing at 15 MPH as well.
"I thought it would be one of those days you just try and hold it together,"
Rose said. "But I made a couple of early birdies and just kept it going."
Rose admitted to "cleaning up" his swing a little after a poor event in Boston
at the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks back. Now he feels his
club is just more in line with where it needs to be."
The issue of the golf course came up and Rose liked it. Hey newsflash !!!
PGA Tour player likes Cog Hill. Rose even said the greens were great like
almost nobody has walked on them prior to the tournament.
With more compliments about the conditioning, the decision of the Jemsek
family to hire new superintendent Scott Pavalko seems to have been a great
one.
RIckie Fowler told the Gog Blog that he is really starting to like Cog Hill,
and he didn't like much last year because "he played" poorly and the
course was in bad shape. But said I'm playing better and the course is in
excellent condition now. Jim Furyk told reporters the course is in great
shape too.
Rose is 34th on the points list, and says he is playing an all out style this
week knowing he needs to move up to move on to Atlanta.
Chasing Rose by two shots is Fed Ex Cup points leader Webb Simpson
who shot 65, and Elmhurst resident Mark Wilson who closed out his
round in dramatic fashion. Wilson started on the 10th hole, so he finished
out on the Par 5 9th hole.
Wilson had about 112 yards into the green with his third shot and hit a
wedge a little fat and just made the front of the green. That left him forty
feet birdie and he was just hoping to get it close, he admitted he didn't
want a testy putt coming back if he missed his first putt.
No worry, the putt found the side door and Wilson closed with a -6 round
of 65. The ovation could be heard through out the golf course.
Last years Fed Ex Cup Champion Furyk, sits in a tie for 5th place with
a 3 under par round of 68. Which is better than last years BMW Champion
Dustin Johnson who opened with a +5 (76) and is 13 back of Rose. Zach
Johnson the pride and joy of Iowa and the John Deere Classic board
member was at 69 and six shots back.
World #1 and Northwestern Alum Luke Donald carded a +4 (75), and
the over par numbers weren't great for Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson,
and Pekin Illinois native DA Points.
The cooler changes led to some interesting set ups by the PGA Tour,
in fact nobody knows for sure if the tour listened Mickelsons ideas
about the par 3's playing a little different but one par 3 hole had it's
tee boxes moved up 56 yards. That would put a different club in the
hands of the pro's.
Wilson was asked about the fact he considers both Butler National
and Cog Hill his home courses, because he says both courses have
been great to him in letting him practice there. Does the criticisms
of Cog Hill bother him. Wilson replied that he feels for the Jemseks
(as do most of the pro's) who deserve better. But he was quick to
add that bunkers are made to be hazards and they aren't always
supposed to be an easy up and down.
TO HEAR THE PRESS CONFERENCES OF JUSTIN ROSE, WEBB SIMPSON,
AND MARK WILSON CLICK HERE:
Download | Duration: 00:11:45
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