Dick's Open Round 1: Darren Clarke, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh tied up top
Anyone recall a more handsome 18-hole leader board at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open?
The top spot is shared by Darren Clarke, Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh, who matched rounds of 7-under-par 65 on a user-friendly En-Joie Golf Course. Padraig Harrington sits a shot back with Duffy Waldorf, and Ernie Els and Mike Weir are among a quartet at 5-under.
Furyk, 52, likewise penciled in eight birdies and one bogey, and made a clean sweep of the four par-5s. He shared 13th in the 2021 Dick’s Open. A season ago, he was a three-time winner and three-time runner-up.
Clarke’s scorecard reveals a pair of 2s on En-Joie’s back nine, those among eight birdies against a ninth-hole bogey. The 53-year-old played to a share of eighth last summer in Endicott, and last month birdied the last to win the Senior British Open by a shot.
Singh, 59, made six birdies and an eagle. His lone blemish was a bogey-6 at the fifth — after he’d gone four-deep across his first three holes.
The tri-leaders are all major champions on the regular tour and senior tour.
Of a pleasing day with the putter, Clarke said: “Yeah, it's been a while. Been messing about with the broomstick this week a little bit in practice again and then just went back to the one that I won with at Gleneagles there a few weeks ago. I played really well here last year, I had a chance in the last group with Ernie and Cameron Beckman and Cameron got Ernie and I and was a deserved winner. But I really like the golf course, so hopefully I can keep doing that over the next couple days.”
Said Harrington: “It's a lovely golf course, but there's plenty of — you know, it's tight off the tee with a bit of firmness in the fairways. They're running true, there's a lot of birdies to be made, but there's also a lot of bogeys to be made. It's kind of you've got to be patient and hope that you make the birdies and try and avoid the mistakes.”
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Singh, who has been coping with a lingering injury that impedes his ability to walk comfortably — he utilized a cart Friday — has not had better than a top-30 since mid-January.
“I mean, 4-under after three gives you a lot of confidence, and a few more par-5s to come,” he said. “It could have been a lot better. I missed a couple short ones coming in and bogeying the fifth hole, which is a sad thing. I was going for the green and made a bogey. Apart from that, I played solid. I made some good putts. You have to make good putts to shoot 7-under.”
Furyk, coming off a COVID-related layoff, played his first PGA Tour Champions round since the June 26 U.S. Senior Open finale.
“It’s nice to be out, you’re excited. I’m fresh, I’ve been away from the game for a while,” he said. “I did a good job of kind of what you wouldn’t expect when you come back from a long time off, maybe six weeks since I played in a tournament. I did a good job of getting the ball up and down, knocked in a bunch of putts, just really scored well and managed my game well. I guess you kind of expect that part to be a little sloppy.
“It wasn’t a perfect round of golf by any means but I found a way to get the ball in the hole and it was nice to be back out.”
Andrew Johnson, a 50-year-old from Columbus, Indiana, who qualified Tuesday at The Links at Hiawatha Landing, shot 4-under 68.
“It was a little rocky, a little rocky. I putted well, I hit my irons well, I just kind of boned it off a few too many trees,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we can straighten that out a little bit tomorrow.
“ … The course is great. It's in really good shape, greens are as good as they're going to get, so I was pretty excited. This is the grass I grew up on, so reminds me a little bit of home. I haven't played back home in a long time, so it's nice to be back on this grass and having fun.”
Joey Sindelar, Town of Lansing resident who grew up in Horseheads, was 2-under until making double at the 15th. He is among a gathering at even-par that includes Miguel Angel Jimenez, John Daly, Colin Montgomerie and David Duval. Jimenez stood 3-under through 10 but stumbled to three bogeys coming home.
Up there for Round of the Day consideration would be Scott Parel. While 70 leaves him sharing 27th position, get this: He made triple at the first and remained 3-over through seven holes. Thereafter, his card was spotless with five birdies.
Defending champion Cameron Beckman opened with 73.
Round 1 Scores
Darren Clarke 65
Jim Furyk 65
Vijay Singh 65
Padraig Harrington 66
Duffy Waldorf 66
Ernie Els 67
Mike Weir 67
Brandt Jobe 67
Y.E. Yang 67
Andrew Johnson 68
Alex Cejka 68
Scott McCarron 68
Stuart Appleby 68
Paul Broadhurst 68
Shane Bertsch 68
Tom Pernice Jr. 68
Rob Labritz 69
Mario Tiziani 69
Doug Barron 69
Steve Flesch 69
Paul Goydos 69
Gene Sauers 69
Ken Tanigawa 69
Corey Pavin 69
Marco Dawson 69
Joe Durant 69
David McKenzie 70
David Toms 70
Thongchai Jaidee 70
Scott Parel 70
Brett Quigley 70
Fred Funk 70
Ken Duke 70
Rocco Mediate 70
Matt Gogel 70
Billy Andrade 70
Michael Allen 70
Glen Day 70
Ricardo Gonzalez 71
Kent Jones 71
Steven Alker 71
Bernhard Langer 71
Rod Pampling 71
Jeff Maggert 71
Dicky Pride 71
Woody Austin 71
Russ Cochran 71
Chris DiMarco 71
Jay Haas 71
Mike Goodes 72
Miguel Angel Jiménez 72
John Daly 72
John Huston 72
Colin Montgomerie 72
David Frost 72
David Duval 72
Jesper Parnevik 72
Scott Dunlap 72
Joey Sindelar 72
Tom Byrum 72
Billy Mayfair 72
Robert Allenby 72
Cameron Beckman 73
Jeff Sluman 73
Tim Petrovic 73
Tim Herron 73
Tom Gillis 74
Roger Rowland 74
David Branshaw 74
Robert Karlsson 74
John Senden 74
Olin Browne 74
Bob Estes 74
Michael Muehr 75
Tim Bogue 75
Kevin Sutherland 75
Wes Short, Jr. 75
Lee Janzen 76
Round 2 Starting Times
9:00 - Kevin Sutherland, Wes Short, Jr., Lee Janzen
9:11 - Bob Estes Michael Muehr, Tim Bogue
9:22 - Robert Karlsson, John Senden, Olin Browne
9:33 - Tom Gillis, Roger Rowland, David Branshaw
9:44 - Jeff Sluman Tim Petrovic, Tim Herron
9:55 - Billy Mayfair, Robert Allenby, Cameron Beckman
10:06 - Scott Dunlap, Joey Sindelar, Tom Byrum
10:17 - David Frost, David Duval, Jesper Parnevik
10:28 - John Daly, John Huston, Colin Montgomerie
10:39 - Jay Haas, Mike Goodes, Miguel Angel Jiménez
10:50 - Woody Austin, Russ Cochran, Chris DiMarco
11:01 - Rod Pampling, Jeff Maggert, Dicky Pride
11:12 - Kent Jones, Steven Alker, Bernhard Langer
11:23 - Michael Allen, Glen Day, Ricardo Gonzalez
11:34 - Rocco Mediate, Matt Gogel, Billy Andrade
11:45 - Brett Quigley, Fred Funk, Ken Duke
11:56 - David Toms, Thongchai Jaidee, Scott Parel
12:07 - Marco Dawson, Joe Durant, David McKenzie
12:18 - Gene Sauers, Ken Tanigawa, Corey Pavin
12:29 - Doug Barron, Steve Flesch, Paul Goydos
12:40 - Tom Pernice Jr., Rob Labritz, Mario Tiziani
12:51 - Stuart Appleby, Paul Broadhurst, Shane Bertsch
1:02 - Andrew Johnson, Alex Cejka, Scott McCarron
1:13 - Mike Weir, Brandt Jobe, Y.E. Yang
1:24 - Padraig Harrington, Duffy Waldorf, Ernie Els
1:35 - Darren Clarke, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Dick's Open Round 1: Three tied for PGA Tour Champions lead
