Putnam Jumps to First-Round Lead in Humana Challenge


Michael Putnam fired a 9-under 63 to take the opening-round lead in the Humana Challenge. The $5.7 million PGA Tour event, played on three courses in California's Coachella Valley - the Arnold Private at PGA West (the host course and site of Sunday's final round), Jack Nicklaus Private at PGA West and La Quinta Country Club - got underway Thursday.

Putnam, a 31-year-old from Tacoma and a three-time winner on the Web.com Tour, posted 10 birdies and a bogey at Nicklaus Private. He birdied seven holes on the back nine to come home with a 29 en route to matching his career-best score on the PGA Tour.

Five players are just a stroke back in the annual birdie-fest. The group with 64s at Palmer Private included Italy's Francesco Molinari and American Blake Adams. Also going 8-under were 2012 winner Mark Wilson and John Peterson at Nicklaus Private and Scott Pinckney at La Quinta.

On the eve of the tournament Putnam told reporter Todd Milles of his hometown Tacoma News Tribune newspaper that he'd changed instructors, going from Patrick Kelley of Raleigh to Troy Denton of Dallas, who's also the swing coach for another Tacoma-area touring pro, Ryan Moore.

"I wasn't looking to change. I have been with Patrick for three years, and it has been a great three years," Putnam said. "But I am still hungry, and I am not at the level I want to be."

He told Milles that he's been using a device called the SAM PuttLab, which analyzes 28 different parts of a putting stroke. "It gives you everything you want to know, from (putting) tempo, to stroke length, to face angle at address and impact and roll of the golf ball," Putnam said.

"My numbers were surprisingly good, but there were a few glaring things we needed to work on."

The practice has been helping as Putnam - whose younger brother Andrew, another Pepperdine University grad, is also on the Tour - hit 13 greens in regulation and rolled in 10 birdie putts. For Milles' full story, visit http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/01/21/3599940/2015-pga-tour-new-instructor-renewed.html.

Putnam knows there's a long way to go this week. "You have to … mentally throw this one away because you're not going to play the Nicklaus (again)," Putnam told PGA Tour.com. "The focus for me is on the Palmer tomorrow and then La Quinta on Saturday. There's a lot of birdies going to be made in 54 holes by a lot of guys. So I have to make a lot of birdies."

Carding 65s were defending champion Patrick Reed and his playing partner at La Quinta, Matt Kuchar, and Jason Kokrak (Nicklaus) and Steve Wheatcroft (Palmer).

Opening with 66s at Palmer Private were Canada's Nick Taylor and Americans Eric Axley and Erik Compton, along with Heath Slocum at Nicklaus and 2009 champion Pat Perez at La Quinta.

In his first tournament of 2015, Phil Mickelson recorded a 71 at La Quinta. Mickelson's playing partner, reigning Tour and FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, also had a 71.

"I got off to a pretty good start, and then I just stalled," Mickelson told PGA Tour.com. "I'm excited about the year, excited about playing, and even though this is the worst score I've had in a long time, I'm excited about getting back out tomorrow. I can't wait to get started again because I feel like I played a little tight today, kind of steered it a little bit. Hopefully the way I'm playing will show in the score, but today it just didn't."

During his session with the press Thursday afternoon two-time winner Mickelson also addressed the controversy he generated after the Ryder Cup in Scotland, where he criticized captain Tom Watson for not consulting more with players as the they lost to the Europeans for the eighth time in 10 tries.

"I'm more about looking forward and trying to move forward from it and to really make the next 10 Ryder cups the best we can,'' said Mickelson, who's on a newly appointed task force arranged by the PGA of America that also includes past captains Raymond Floyd, Davis Love III and Tom Lehman, along with Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Rickie Fowler.

"We have some really smart guys with a lot of great input. We have another meeting soon. And I think it will get us on the right track with a good game plan with good continuity from year to year. I'm excited.

"Who knows if it will bring the results we want or not. But there's a lot of good smart people in there. We've moving forward and trying to make this work. And that's exciting I think.''

Jimmy Walker, winner in last Sunday's Sony Open, isn't playing this week.

For all the Humana Challenge scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.