Crowded at the Top of Northern Trust Open


On a beautiful day in Southern California, the players who went out early did the best in the opening round of the Northern Trust Open. The $6.7 million PGA Tour event got underway Thursday at the classic, George Thomas-designed Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

Sharing the 18-hole lead following 5-under 66s was a couple of major champions - South Africa's Retief Goosen and Fiji's Vijay Singh - along with Americans Nick Watney, Daniel Summerhays and James Hahn, who all began play in the morning.

The 46-year-old Goosen, winner of the U.S. Open in 2001 and 2004, carded seven birdies and two bogeys. Playing in the same group as Goosen, the 51-year-old Singh - a two-time PGA champion and winner of the 2000 Masters - had a cleaner card with six birdies and a lone bogey.

"We had a little chat out there a little bit," said Goosen, looking for his first title since the 2009 Transitions. He noted it was business as usual playing alongside Singh, who hasn't won on the PGA Tour in six years. "Sometimes when you get a good round going, you are both so focused on your round that you don't really chat as much . . . It was nice to see the two old boys play pretty good."

Singh, who also dabbles on the over-50 Champions Tour, told reporters he's feeling much better these days after experiencing various ailments in recent years. "I'm finally not hurting as much as I did the last five years," he said.

"That's a big part of playing good golf. You're not hurting, you can go out and play and you're comfortable. Right now, nothing hurts. The golf swing feels good, and I'm happy to be playing."

Much of the players' talk in the first round focused on the short but diabolical (under 300 yards on Thursday) par-4 10th hole. Its slick, elusive green is drivable, but trouble encircles the narrow target in the form of deep bunkers and steep slopes lined by deep and gnarly, kikuyu grass rough.

Summerhays takes a fatalistic approach to the 10th, where in the first round the pin was tucked at perhaps its toughest back-of-the-green setting. He got a par on the hole - along with seven birdies and two bogeys - en route to his 66. "You stand on the tee and you say, there's really no good options here, and I'm just going to hit it and take whatever happens," said the 31-year-old Utahan.

Watney, a 33-year-old native of Sacramento and graduate of Fresno State, posted four birdies, an eagle on the par-5 first hole and a bogey. The 33-year-old Hahn, who attended Cal-Berkeley, had six birdies and a bogey.

Watney challenged for the lead in the final round of last week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. But after moving to the top on the front nine, he faded down the stretch, eventually finishing with a 3-under 69 and in solo second, three strokes behind winner Brandt Snedeker.

"I was disappointed for maybe 12 hours," Watney said. "But overall, it was almost all positive and on to the next week."

Mexico's Carlos Ortiz shot a 67, and Justin Thomas, Alex Cejka, Geoff Ogilvy and William McGirt had 68s.

Playing in the afternoon as the course got drier and toughened up, reigning Northern Trust Open champion Bubba Watson posted a 70. The long-hitting lefty and winner of two of the past three Masters hit only eight greens in regulation Thursday. Of his round, Watson said at greenside, "It's tough out there. The greens are firm and fast. It's hard to get the right club."

Snedeker experienced the same scenario as Watson and many of the other late starters. The 34-year-old Tennessean, who played so superbly at Pebble Beach that he set a new AT&T record of 22-under 265, recorded a 2-over 73 at Riviera. Snedeker had three birdies and five bogeys.

Davis Love III opened with a 72. The 50-year-old North Carolinian will be officially named captain of the 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup team next week.

Two-time winner Fred Couples opened with a 71. In his 2015 American debut, Sergio Garcia also shot even-par.

Several players were still on the course as darkness was descending on Riviera and this story was posted. For updated scoring, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.