Three players share lead at Fort Smith Classic
FORT SMITH, Ark. – Tommy Gainey and Matt Weibring aren’t complaining after shooting 6-under-par 64s in the opening round of the Fort Smith Classic. Kris Cox was admittedly surprised to post his best round of the year, a 64 as well. Gainey and Weibring both admit they left a few shots on the Hardscrabble Country Club course, while Cox made the most of his chances. Despite the missed putts, failed opportunities and newfound confidence, the trio share first-day lead in the $550,000 event, the tenth stop on the 2008 Nationwide Tour schedule.Gainey, Weibring and Cox lead by two over Cameron Percy, David Lutterus, Jason Dufner, Justin Hicks, Brian Stuard and Michael Boyd. Ten others are three shots back, including 2006 champion Darron Stiles, former Arkansas Razorback Rich Morris and Monday qualifier Ty Tryon.
Gainey, who has made only three cuts in nine starts during his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, tallied his best score of the year. The 32-year old had seven birdies in a round highlighted by three chip-ins and a double-chip.
“Frustration has really set in for me. The year has been real sketchy for me,” said Gainey, who gained some notoriety when he won the Golf Channel’s Big Break series in 2006. “I have hit it good all year except for maybe three rounds. I have not made any putts and my scores show that.”
Gainey didn’t need even need the putter for three of birdies and his score reflects that as well. The South Carolinian chipped in for birdie on his third hole of the day, No. 12. He followed that up with double-hit chip on No. 13 and made bogey-5 despite a penalty stroke. If that wasn’t enough, he hit “an awful tee shot” on the next hole and wound up underneath a tree. His attempt to punch out of the woods hit another tree and settled into a washed out area where he tried to bump a 9-iron to the green. “I was just trying to get a good look at a par and it goes in the hole,” he admitted. “I don’t know what to say about that. For me to make a three when I’m looking to make five, well that’s a steal there.”
The birdie theft was followed up by another birdie at No. 15, where his birdie putt on the par-3 covered only six feet.
“When I made that 9-iron shot I felt like today was going to be a good day,” he said. “That (chip-in) tells me there’s a possibility of something special happening.”
Gainey, also known for wearing two gloves, added three consecutive birdies as he made the turn and was suddenly six-under after 11 holes. “When I chip in there (on his 10th hole) I was thinking of taking it real deep. I’m thinking 10-under now. I just didn’t make any putts for the next five or six holes. I had chances to make birdies but didn’t take advantage of them.”
Weibring didn’t chip in three times but did let a number of birdie chances pass, missing at least five putts from the 10-20 foot range. Though when he was done, he wasn’t sure what he shot.
“Seriously, what is the par here? I don’t really know,” said Weibring, who admits he doesn’t really look at the scoreboards that are situated around the course. “I played really good today. I drove it well. I putted well. I had only a couple of those 5-footers for par and I made those. Those are important to make to keep things going. You don’t make a lot of 15 to 18-footers. I just try to put my head down and play.”
The highlight of the Texan’s round came at the 533-yard, par-5, 6th hole where his hybrid 2-iron left him with an eagle putt of 18 feet, which he canned to join Gainey at minus-6.
“The key to this golf course is managing your game and keeping it in play,” he said after hitting 12 of 13 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation. “IF you hit it in the trees you are going to have a tough time making pars. There are places where you can’t miss it. As long as your bad shots miss on the right side, you’ve got a chance to get it up and down.”
Cox, who is a combined 0-for-8 on the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour this year, put together his best round in quite a while. “That’s probably the best I’ve hit it two years,” said the 34-year old Oklahoma State grad. “I’ve just had a hard time playing this year. I haven’t played well all year. You play so poorly you wonder if you’re ever to be good again. I played like a pro today.”
Cox put together a bogey-free round by taking the prescribed method to cure a slump – hit a lot of fairways and greens. Five of his six birdies came from inside 10 feet.
“I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure it out,” he said. “I can’t put my finger on it. My ball-striking hasn’t been very good and my chipping and putting has been worse.”
Cox recently turned to a sports psychologist, and after only a few conversations, there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
“Some of my confidence is coming back. I haven’t had any confidence at all this year,” he said. “I think I’ve let some bad shots stay with me too long and now I’m trying to let the bad stuff go a little faster. I have to stop beating myself up so much when things don’t go well. I wouldn’t have been surprised to shoot a couple under but to shoot six-under, yea, I’m surprised at that.”
First-Round Notes – Lift, clean and place conditions were in effect for the opening round…Chris Baryla withdrew during the opening round due to a back injury…Players who were bogey-free in the first round: 64 – Matt Weibring, Kris Cox; 66 – Cameron Percy; 67 – Jason Schultz; 68 – Colt Knost…The first-round scoring average was 70.353…This is the ninth time in the tournament’s 11-year history that the first-round leader/co-leaders were at 6-under 64. Jim Carter shot 62 in 2004 and led by two. Scott Gutschewski shot 63 last year and led by one.
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