Brian Davis, Darren Clarke and Luke Donald are flying the flag for The European Tour in America by setting the early pace in the Nissan Open. Davis holds a one shot lead over his fellow Britons although it was Clarke who set the tournament alight with the help of a hole-in-one.
Davis, winner of the US PGA Tour Qualifying School last November, fired an opening six under par 65 the Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California to lie one clear of Clarke, Donald and American Brett Quigley.
A fourth European Tour Member, Australian Adam Scott, is on the group a further shot back that includes Tiger Woods and defending champion Mike Weir.
Davis narrowly missed out on earning a place in Europe’’s Ryder Cup Team last year but enjoyed a huge confidence boost by winning the US PGA Tour Qualifying to earn a his US card.
A week ago he missed the cut in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but commented: “I though somebody had closed the hole up there, but today was completely different – the putts went in.
“It is tough not knowing any of the courses but this is more of a traditional one and I have seen it on television a few times.”
One of those occasions was during the 1995 US PGA Championship when Colin Montgomerie lost a play-off to Steve Elkington.
Davis hit a four iron to four feet for an opening eagle, turned in a five under par 30 and then added another birdie at the tenth. But as the weather deteriorated and heavy rain began to fall the birdies ceased and Davis finished with eight pars.
Clarke, sixth in Pebble Beach last week, aced the 199 yard sixth hole with a seven iron to post a morning five under par 66. Starting at the tenth, Clarke reached the turn in one under par and then birdied the first and third before the ace.
“It pitched behind the flag and trickled back in. A little bit of skill and a lot of luck,” he said. Television replays showed the ball spinning back at speed as it disappeared down the hole. Clarke believes he has had some 25 holes-in-one in his career although a number of those were in practice, including two last year prior to the Majors.
Donald also started at the tenth and, after covering his first nine in 34, birdied five of the first six holes on the front nine in worsening conditions. But he could not save his par on the final hole after missing the green and fell back into a tie with Clarke and Quigley.
