Palmer Sets Pace at Deutsche Bank Championship


Ryan Palmer got off to a hot start in the $8 million Deutsche Bank Championship. The second of four events in the season-ending FedEx Cup Playoffs got underway Friday at TPC Boston.

Beginning play on the 10th tee, Palmer, a 37-year-old Texan with three PGA Tour victories, bogeyed his first hole but then birdied six of the next eight to make the turn in 5-under 30. He tacked on three more birdies on his back nine for a 9-under 63 and a two-stroke lead over Keegan Bradley.

Palmer was assisted during his spectacular round by requiring only 21 putts, including 15 one-putts.

Three strokes back after 66s are Australia's Jason Day and Americans Webb Simpson and Chesson Hadley.

Although he certainly wants to play well in Boston, located close to his home in Vermont, Bradley said he's also got an eye on earning a captain's pick for the 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team. "When I'm sleeping, I'm dreaming about it. When I wake up, I'm thinking about it," Bradley told reporters of earning his second spot on the American team.

"When I'm on the course, I'm thinking about it. But I've just made the decision that it's going to come up and I'm not going to try to block it out. I'm just going to try to embrace it and be aware of those thoughts," added the 2011 PGA champion. "The more I try not to think about it the more it comes in. I'm just embracing it. Today felt good."

Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open champion, is also hoping to perform well this week and gain the attention of 2014 captain Tom Watson. "I know it's a big week," the 29-year-old North Carolinian said. "I know I need a really good, consistent week to show him my game is there. I think it's there. But for someone outside yourself, you need to see results for you to believe that the game is there. So I'm hoping that I can have four good rounds. A lot of other guys are playing great golf right now. Brandt (Snedeker) is playing well, Bill Haas is playing well. We'll see what happens.

"There's a point of freedom that you feel that you can only do what you can do," Simpson added. "Whether you get picked or not is in someone else's hands, essentially. I feel good about it. I feel at peace about it. I feel in control of my game."

Sharing sixth following 67s are England's Ian Poulter, Sweden's Carl Pettersson, Scotland's Russell Knox and Americans Jordan Spieth and Bill Haas.

While Bradley and Simpson are consciously eying a spot on the American Ryder Cup team, Poulter - a formidable presence on recent, victorious European squads and also in search of a captain's pick by European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley - is looking to simply perform well this week and let matters take their course.

"I'm not thinking anything else right now, apart from playing golf this week," said the 38-year-old, who's played on four victorious European squads. "I've got to motivate myself to make sure I play well this week, to play next week, to play the week after. And I'm not thinking about Ryder Cup. It's in a few weeks' time. Obviously it's on everyone's radar, because everyone wants to play in it. And I want to play in it as well. So I'll have to wait and see. We'll have to wait and see."

Five back is an all-American line-up of Patrick Reed, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Chappell, Charles Howell III, Matt Every and Billy Hurley III.

Opening with 69s were Australians Matt Jones and John Senden, South Korea's Seung-Yul Noh, England's Luke Donald and Americans Ben Crane, Chris Stroud, Matt Kuchar, Chris Stroud and Billy Horschel.

Defending FedEx Cup champion and 2013 Deutsche Bank Championship winner Henrik Stenson of Sweden carded a 70, a score matched by No. 1-ranked Rory McIlroy, among others.

The 25-year-old McIlroy, who finished at 5-under 279 at the par-71 Ridgewood course in last week's The Barclays, posted five birdies and four bogeys Friday. The Ulsterman, who won three straight titles - the Open Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship - before The Barclays, said he could have played better in the first round of the Deutsche Bank, which will have a Monday Labor Day finish.

"I feel like I played okay. I got off to a great start," McIlroy said. "A little disappointed that I couldn't keep it going after the first few holes. But it was tricky out there. The wind was up. The greens are firmer than they ever have been since I've been coming here. The course is in great shape, but the rough is a little thicker. It makes it a little tougher to score. I felt good. My game is in decent shape. I holed a couple of nice putts. I missed a couple again. But overall, shooting under par today isn't a bad start."

Other scores included a 73 by The Barclay's champion, Hunter Mahan, and a 74 by Phil Mickelson, who has already secured his 10th career spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

On Friday the players' caddies exchanged their normal hats for black hats to honor Angela Bennett, the wife of Kuchar's longtime caddie Lance Bennett, who died suddenly on Wednesday in Texas. Tournament organizers also posted a large frame with pictures of Angela, Lance and the couple's 4-year-old daughter, Emma Grace, on the first tee, and distributed black ribbons and orange ribbons. Orange was Angela's favorite color.

Kucher appreciated the gestures. "It's been amazing the outpouring of messages to me and Lance and the Bennett family," said Kuchar, who'll have replacement caddie Brian Reed on his bag this week. "I have to say the first tee shot was very difficult. I teed it up and saw all the guys putting on their black hats and ribbons. It was a tough one. That first tee almost made me say, 'I can't do this.' I almost didn't have the head, the strength to go on."

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