Two Share First-Round Lead in PGA Tour's Season-Opening Frys.com Open


Andres Gonzales of Olympia, Wash., and Sang Moon Bae of South Korea each carded 6-under 66s to take the 18-hole lead in the Frys.com Open. The $6 million event - the PGA Tour's 2014-15 season opener - started on a beautiful fall Thursday at Silverado Country Club's North Course in Napa, Calif.

Gonzales, a 31-year-old who earned a spot on this year's PGA Tour after graduating from the Web.com Tour, posted seven birdies and a bogey. The 28-year-old Bae, who won the Byron Nelson Championship last May, also had seven birdies and a bogey.

One stroke back is Scotland's Martin Laird, while starting out with 4-under 68s were Sweden's David Lingmerth, Australian Aaron Baddeley, South African Tyrone Van Aswegen, and Americans Charlie Beljan, Luke Guthrie, Colt Knost, Brooks Koepka, Kyle Reifers and Jon Curran.

Gonzales feels an affinity with the North Course as it's similar to the kinds of courses he grew up playing in the Pacific Northwest. "It suits my eye well," he said. "I like tree-lined courses with big trees, and poa annua grass is what I've grown up with on the greens. I feel pretty comfortable out here.

"You can hit driver, you can hit 3-wood, you can hit any shot you want, but I don't think anybody is going to be overpowering this course, except for some par-5s."

Bae noted it's important to find the fairways at the 7,203-yard layout, which is hosting its first PGA Tour event in 34 years. "Actually, I don't like this rough," he said. "It's pretty thick. So the main point is the fairway. The fairways are pretty narrow."

Beljan concurred that accuracy is a must. "You've got to hit the ball in the fairway out here," said the 29-year-old Arizonan, whose lone victory came at the 2012 Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in Florida. "The rough is tough, and you've got to be on the right side of the holes to make some putts.

The 30-year-old Beljan said the field is glad the Tour is making its long-awaited return to Silverado, a place with considerable history as a host for past pro tour events. "It's a beautiful place being up here for the first time. I think all the players are going to be happy."

Twelve players opened with 69s, while another 18 had 70s.

Defending champion Jimmy Walker stumbled out of the gate with a 3-over 75. The three-time winner last year is playing the first two rounds alongside fellow 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team members Hunter Mahan and Matt Kuchar, who shot 70 and 71, respectively.

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