Matt Marshall rode in on his high horse Thursday evening to steal Joe Panzeri鈥檚 thunder in Round 1 of the PGA Tour sa国际传媒鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Island Savings Open at Uplands Golf Club, turning in a 7-under 63 to lead his fellow American by a single stroke on a beautiful sunny day.
鈥淚t seems like whenever Joe plays well, I play well. The same thing happened in Edmonton last year,鈥� said Marshall, 28, who was playing in his first event of the year coming off a shoulder injury. 鈥淭he game actually feels pretty good for not playing much.
鈥淚 got kinda comfortable out there, a little nervous after I shot 29 on the front (he started on No. 10). My brain started thinking about certain numbers and it took me a couple of holes to settle down.鈥�
He would have been two shots up on Panzeri if not for a lip-out par putt on his last hole, No. 9.
Panzeri, meanwhile, said he learned a valuable lesson the first couple of times around Uplands. The Meridian, Idaho, golfer turned back the dial on his aggressiveness for his fine 6-under 64 in the morning to sit a shot up on both Riley Wheeldon of Comox and England鈥檚 David Skinns.
鈥淭ypically, the last few years I think I鈥檝e played this course too aggressive, too many woods and stuff, so I dialed back on the tee a bit,鈥� said Panzeri. 鈥淚t was emphasis on fairways and greens.鈥�
That strategy paid off for the 26-year-old, who actually took the last month off to prepare and then attempted to qualify at sectionals this week for the U.S. Open, as did Marshall. Neither made it, but both were patient with club selections off the tee in Victoria and it paid off.
鈥淚 think I only hit four drivers all day. I didn鈥檛 hit one 3-wood,鈥� said Panzeri. 鈥淭here were a lot of 3-irons. The course is firm and fast and there鈥檚 a huge emphasis on hitting fairways. I felt like if I could hit a good 3-iron, I鈥檓 leaving myself a little bit back, but at the same time it鈥檚 a premium to be in the fairway.鈥�
Wheeldon, 22, knows all too well the patience Uplands requires, having grown up in Comox Valley.
鈥淚 like my position. I haven鈥檛 had a good start in this tournament in the two years I鈥檝e played here,鈥� said Wheeldon, who made the cut his first time and missed last season. 鈥淚鈥檓 starting to get more and more used to it.
鈥淚 was hitting 2-iron everywhere. I think I hit driver three times,鈥� said Wheeldon, who recorded four birdies on his front nine and two on the back to go along with a bogey.
鈥淚 got it going early. I was 4-under through seven holes, hit a bit of a rocky patch in the middle and then got it together and finished strong again,鈥� added Wheeldon, who is the top Canadian in the field.
Kevin Stinson (Mission) and Brad Boyle of Kingston, Ont., were tied at 4-under 66 along with Monday qualifier Fergal Rafferty of Ireland. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford is in a cluster of five players tied at 3-under 67.
CHIP SHOTS: Other locals included Darren Griff (68), amateurs Kevin Carrigan and Dave Tuttle (70s), Cory Renfrew and Edd Boudreau (71s), Stu Anderson (75) and amateur Brock Holland (77). Defending champ Andrew Roque was 72. 鈥� Matt Makinson of Coquitlam had an ace on the par 3 17th hole, slaying the 171 yarder with an 8-iron. 鈥� The field of 156 will be cut down to 55 and ties after Round 2 today.
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