Damron and Collins share lead by one
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Chad Collins and Robert Damron fired an 8-under-par 64s and share a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Price Cutter Charity Championship. Stacked up behind them are 10 players tied for third at 7 under.In its 20-year history as a Nationwide Tour venue, Highland Springs Country Club has become known for low numbers. The winner in each of the last six years has posted a 72-hole score of 21-under or less.
“You have to go low every day,” said co-leader Collins. “You definitely have to go out there and get all of the par 5s – I think 3 under is equivalent to par on this course.”
In fact, the scoring average in Round 1 was pretty close to that estimate at 2.4 strokes under par.
Collins, who tied for second last week at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open, is playing his fourth full season on the Nationwide Tour. The 30-year-old from Cloverdale, Ind. finished 23rd on the money list in 2007 and earned a promotion to the PGA Tour in 2008. After finishing 174th in earnings that year, he returned to the Nationwide Tour in 2009.
Damron rattled off consecutive birdies on Nos. 16, 17 and 18 to gain a share of lead late in the day. The Pikeville, Ky. native arrived in Springfield at 1 a.m. this morning and had never seen the course prior to his afternoon tee time.
“I just trusted my caddie and paid attention to him – hopefully he knows what he’s doing the next three days,” he quipped. “I played conservatively on some tee shots that I probably didn’t have to, and I’ll probably stick to that game plan.”
Damron played on the PGA Tour from 1994 to 2006 and won the Verizon Byron Nelson Classic in 2001.
Derek Lamley, in the group behind the leaders at 7 under, was tied for the lead until he pulled his tee shot on the last hole into the water. He recovered nicely and hit his third to approximately 15 feet, but two-putted for bogey.
Weather in Springfield was relative mild for mid-August, with temperatures in the mid-80s for much of the day and gentle breezes. The second round begins at 7:15 a.m. Friday morning with groups of three going of the first and 10th tees.
First-round notebook:
* There are six former champions of the Price Cutter Charity Championship in the field this week – Tom Carter (2003, currently 2-over and tied for 142nd), Doug Labelle II (2006, currently even and tied for 118th), Brad Ott (2004, currently 5 under and tied for 24th), Tom Scherrer (2007, currently even and tied for 118th), Roger Tambellini (2005, currently 7 under and tied for third) and Tommy Tolles (1993, currently even and tied for 118th).
* Blake Adams shot a 2-under 70 Thursday for his 22nd consecutive round of par or better. He is currently fourth on the money list and has four top-10 finishes in as many starts. The all-time Nationwide Tour record for consecutive top-10 finishes is six set by Doug Martin in 1993.
* Lamley drove the ball to approximately 100 yards from the 18th green – a 542-yard downhill par 5.
* Tommy Gainey celebrated 34th birthday on Thursday. He is currently tied for third at 7 under.
* The current course record is 60 (12 under) set by Tyler Williamson in 2004. Doug Labelle II set the 72-hole record in 2006 with a 27-under-par 288.
* Scoring averages
Highland Springs Country Club
Par 72 – 7,115 yards
Round 1: 34.83 / 34.77 / 69.60
Hardest hole: No. 4, par 3, 211 yards, 0.15 strokes over par
Easiest hole: No11, par 5, 535 yards, 0.51 strokes under par
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