Where there's smoke … there is usually fire. On the opening day of the 1998 Byron Nelson, Bob Friend found himself the day's hottest player, 7-under after only 13 holes at the TPC Course. "Today was just basically what I have been doing all year long, keeping the ball in play and hitting a lot of fairways," said Friend, son of former major league pitcher Bob Friend. "The putter was somewhat warm today and I never had an opportunity to make bogey."
Friend, who played the Nike Tour last year and qualified for this year's tour by shooting a final round 63 at Q school, did not let thoughts of breaking the all-time PGA scoring record of 59 enter his head. "I was very organized in my thinking which is why I was in the scorecard area forever trying to remember the holes," said Friend. "That's usually a good indication that I was very focused in what I was doing."
Friend took off 1996 after a poor season on the Nike Tour and was the teaching pro at Inverness in Toledo, where Byron Nelson was once the head pro, before the golf bug bit again. As a youngster, Friend had the chance to caddy with a group that included Tom Watson, his hero. "Being inside the ropes with Watson, I decided then and there that's what I wanted to do."
Well, Friend may have a chance to play with his hero this weekend, because four-time champion Tom Watson is tied for second with Harrison Frazar at 6-under. "I really putted well," said Watson. " I missed one makeable putt and turned a 67 into a 64." Watson, who made four birdie putts from 12 - 20 feet at the Cottonwood Valley Course, has been successful this season by "simply trying to follow through and making an acceleration through the ball with a little bit slower back swing." "It's always nice feeling to have my friend and mentor, Mr. Nelson, looking over my shoulder here," said Watson.
Dallas resident Harrison Frazar used a "pretty well balanced day with everything going well" to shoot 64 at the Cottonwood Valley Course. Frazar, who ranks 5th on the Tour in driving distance, nearly drove the 6th green, chipping to within two feet for one of his seven birdies. He credits his former college roommate,
Justin Leonard, with helping him on Tour this season. "Justin's been a good friend, he's always answered my questions honestly." Leonard's teacher, Randy Smith, has also been instrumental in his success.
Blaine McCallister, who played in the first group, is among those at 5-under. "I felt like a member of the club with the first tee time on Saturday morning. The conditions were perfect," said McCallister. He closed with five birdies over the last seven holes at the Cottonwood Valley Course. "My swing felt good, it was just a matter of getting it on the green and making a few strokes because I was putting well."
Defending champion Tiger Woods is also tied with Ben Bates, Scott Gump and Frank Lickliter at 5-under. "Overall I hit the ball really well today. I missed four putts from ten feet on in for birdie today, so it could have been one of those low ones today," said Woods. "Ball striking-wise I was great today. Really controlled my trajectory well in the wind."
Woods eagled the par five 11th hole at the Cottonwood Valley Course hitting a four-iron from 227 yards to set up a 15-foot putt. "D.A. (Weibring) just made a putt from about a foot behind me, showed me the line and I knocked it right in." Tiger rolled in a downhill putt for birdie on the 15th hole. "It's one of those putts that should still be rolling. It would have been off the shelf and down the tier but it slammed in the back of the hole."
Phil Mickelson, an early leader after firing 31 on the front nine at the Cottonwood Valley Course, heads a group at 4-under. The group of eleven includes Jim Furyk, Hal Sutton, John Cook and Fred Couples.
John Daly and Masters Champion Mark O'Meara are among those at three-under. Justin Leonard, who struggled with a hook in the middle of his round, and Payne Stewart head a group at two-under. Ernie Els, Tom Kite and Tom Lehman headline those at one-under.
The unusual haze caused by the smoke of the fires in Central America made playing conditions cooler but difficult for some. "It got to everybody out there," said Tiger Woods. "The gallery was just hacking it up out there. It feels real ashy out there, like sandpaper in your eyes. I lost my ball on the first tee. I had no idea where I hit it."
"It was tough to see the ball," said Blaine McCallister. "You couldn't really pick it up and you weren't sure where it hit. It's some thick stuff." Bob Friend learned about the cause of the haze from his caddy. "I have got a two-and-a-half-year-old son with me and all I see is Barney."
"The smoke didn't affect my lungs. Actually it probably cooled us off a little bit. The sun didn't make it which is pretty good for old folks," added Tom Watson.
First round scores
First round scores Thursday from the $2.5 million GTE Byron
Nelson Classic. t=6,924-yard, par 35-35--70 TPC at the
Four Seasons Resort and c=6,846-yard, par 34-36-70
Cottonwood Valley Golf Course.
Bob Friend 30-33--63t 7-under
Tom Watson 31-33--64c 6-under
Harrison Frazar 31-33--64c
Blaine McCallister 34-31--65c 5-under
Tiger Woods 33-32--65c
Scott Gump 29-36--65c
Frank Lickliter 32-33--65c
Ben Bates 33-32--65t
Phil Mickelson 31-35--66c 4-under
Hal Sutton 34-32--66t
Scott McCarron 31-35--66c
John Cook 32-34--66t
Doug Barron 31-35--66t
R.W. Eaks 32-34--66t
Bob Estes 33-33--66t
Fred Couples 33-33--66t
Jim Furyk 32-34--66t
Ted Tryba 32-34--66c
Donnie Hammond 32-34--66c
John Adams 32-35--67c 3-under
Rocco Mediate 34-33--67t
Dan Forsman 34-33--67c
Chris Perry 34-33--67c
Jay Don Blake 33-34--67c
David Ogrin 32-35--67t
John Daly 33-34--67c
Clark Dennis 33-34--67t
Tommy Armour III 34-33--67c
Steve Stricker 34-33--67c
Jeff Sluman 32-35--67t
Kenny Perry 34-33--67c
Mark O'Meara 34-33--67t
Don Pooley 32-35--67t
Chris DiMarco 32-35--67c
J.L. Lewis 34-33--67c
Robert Damron 33-35--68t 2-under
Dave Barr 34-34--68c
David Frost 34-34--68t
Justin Leonard 35-33--68c
Payne Stewart 34-34--68t
Tom Byrum 33-35--68c
Mike Brisky 33-35--68t
Hugh Royer 36-32--68c
Chris Zambri 33-35--68c
Jim Carter 34-34--68c
Trevor Dodds 33-35--68t
Glen Day 33-35--68t
Russ Cochran 33-35--68c
Glen Hnatiuk 36-32--68t
Keith Nolan 34-34--68t
Grant Waite 31-38--69c 1-under
Mark Carnevale 33-36--69c
Tim Herron 33-36--69t
Tom Lehman 33-36--69t
Ernie Els 35-34--69c
Steve Jones 33-36--69c
Jeff Maggert 35-34--69t
David Toms 35-34--69c
Craig Barlow 33-36--69t
Lee Rinker 35-34--69t
Omar Uresti 34-35--69c
Barry Cheesman 35-34--69t
Franklin Langham 36-33--69c
Jeff Gallagher 33-36--69t
Sonny Skinner 35-34--69c
Doug Martin 36-33--69t
David Edwards 33-36--69t
Fulton Allem 34-35--69c
Kirk Triplett 35-34--69t
Larry Mize 36-33--69c
Phil Blackmar 35-34--69t
Clarence Rose 34-35--69c
Willie Wood 35-34--69t
Tom Kite 34-35--69c
Steve Jurgensen 34-35--69c
Vance Veazey 34-35--69t
Mike Heinen 34-36--70t Even
Hajime Meshiai 34-36--70c
Pete Jordan 33-37--70t
Paul Stankowski 35-35--70t
Bob Tway 36-34--70t
Corey Pavin 32-38--70c
Peter Jacobsen 36-34--70c
Nick Price 33-37--70c
Ben Crenshaw 35-35--70t
Jonathan Kaye 34-36--70t
Craig Parry 35-35--70c
Brent Geiberger 35-35--70c
Richard Coughlan 35-35--70c
Steve Lowery 34-36--70t
Neal Lancaster 36-34--70c
Brad Fabel 35-35--70c
Tommy Tolles 33-37--70t
P.H. Horgan III 34-36--70c
Dudley Hart 34-36--70t
Billy Ray Brown 32-38--70c
Gabriel Hjertstedt 34-36--70t
Stewart Cink 36-34--70t
Brian Henninger 32-38--70c
Phil Tataurangi 34-36--70t
Jason Hill 35-35--70c
Brett Quigley 34-36--70c
Guy Hill 35-35--70c
Steve Flesch 36-35--71t 1-over
Scott Verplank 38-33--71t
Larry Rinker 38-33--71t
Craig Stadler 33-38--71c
Duffy Waldorf 37-34--71t
Mike Springer 34-37--71t
Lennie Clements 34-37--71c
Jim McGovern 36-35--71t
Spike McRoy 35-36--71c
Len Mattiace 36-35--71t
Mark Wiebe 34-37--71c
Mark Calcavecchia 35-36--71c
Mark Brooks 35-36--71t
Andrew Magee 34-37--71t
David Sutherland 35-36--71c
Mike Hulbert 34-37--71t
Kent Jones 32-39--71c
Chip Beck 35-37--72c 2-over
Frank Nobilo 36-36--72c
John Morse 36-36--72t
Chris Smith 35-37--72c
Billy Mayfair 34-38--72c
Paul Goydos 37-35--72t
Stuart Appleby 35-37--72t
Dave Stockton 34-38--72c
Kevin Sutherland 33-39--72c
Esteban Toledo 33-39--72t
Lee Porter 36-36--72t
Lanny Wadkins 37-36--73t 3-over
Guy Boros 39-34--73t
Bobby Wadkins 35-38--73c
Ronnie Black 37-36--73c
Olin Browne 36-37--73t
Loren Roberts 35-38--73c
D.A. Weibring 35-38--73c
Mike Standly 37-36--73c
Kawika Cotner 35-38--73c
Tom Pernice Jr. 36-37--73t
Joel Edwards 35-39--74t 4-over
Jay Haas 37-37--74c
Michael Bradley 34-40--74t
Nolan Henke 36-39--75t 5-over
Iain Steel 37-38--75c
Perry Arthur 38-37--75c
Mike Weir 37-38--75t
Kelly Gibson 38-37--75c
David J. White 39-36--75t
Troy Reiser 34-41--75t
Wayne Grady 33-43--76c 6-over
Brandel Chamblee 40-37--77t 7-over
Paul Earnest 36-42--78c 8-over
Bruce Lietzke 38-40--78t
Jim Stalder 41-43--84t 14-over
Don Dowell is the Editor/Publisher of Golf in the SouthWest
(May 14, 1998)©