Putnam & Petrovic Start Out Hot at Canadian Open


Michael Putnam and Tim Petrovic each fired 6-under 64s to take the first-round lead in the Canadian Open. The $5.7 million PGA Tour event got underway Thursday on the Blue Course at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Putnam, a 31-year-old from Tacoma in search of his first Tour title, started his round on the 10th tee. After posting four birdies on his front nine, Putnam tacked on two more birdies on the back.

Putnam joked later that he had no difficulties at historic Royal Montreal, the oldest golf club in North America. "Obviously it was playing easy," he told reporters with a chuckle.

"I hit a lot of fairways and I hit a lot of greens. It got windy there this afternoon and it was tough golfing, but somehow I was able to keep it in the fairway and take advantage of the soft greens, get a couple shots close and make a couple of five- to 10-foot putts."

The 47-year-old Petrovic, a native of Massachusetts whose only Tour victory came in the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, carded four birdies on the opening nine and an eagle on the par-5 12th.

Like Putnam, Petrovic recorded the low round of his PGA Tour career. "I really didn't set my expectations high because I got in late," said Petrovic, who now makes his home in Austin, Texas. "It wasn't that I was playing conservative, I was just trying to hit fairways and greens just to see the golf course."

The two players enjoy a one-stroke advantage over another Tacoma native, Kyle Stanley, and 23-year-old Canadian amateur Taylor Pendrith, a recent Kent State graduate making his PGA Tour debut this week.

Eleven players opened with 66s. The group includes Americans Justin Hicks, Nick Watney, Troy Merritt, Bo Van Pelt, Dicky Pride, Jason Bohn and Joel Dahmen, South Korea's Charlie Wi, Australians Greg Chalmers and Robert Allenby and South African Charl Schwartzel.

Canada's David Hearn was among 16 players carding 67s. Also in that group are major champions Ben Curtis and Jim Furyk. The 44-year-old Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, won two straight Canadian Opens in 2006 and '07 among his 16 career titles.

"I'm not overly disappointed with the way I played," said the 35-year-old Hearn, an Ontario native who came close to his maiden Tour victory in 2013 but lost in a playoff to Jordan Spieth in the John Deere Classic. "I hit the ball great from tee to green. I feel like, if a few putts went down today it could have been a little better, but I think everybody in this field will say the same thing."

Defending champion Brandt Snedeker opened with a 69, the same score as Saskatchewan native Graham DeLaet, who had four birdies but three bogeys. "I was happy after my start to get it back into red figures," said DeLaet, who missed the cut by a stroke in last week's British Open.

"I want to play well so badly here, and to be a couple over through four holes, I had to kind of dig deep and make it happen."

Eight-time Tour winner and 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir posted a 70, the same score as Canadian amateurs Adam Svensson and Kevin Carrigan.

The shot of the day was by Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who holed out from 213 yards on the par-4 11th for an eagle en route to a 68.

The top-ranked player in the field, No. 7 Matt Kuchar, started with a 69.

For complete scoring details, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.