American Shaun Micheel used a new putter to force his way to a one stroke lead on the first day of rain and wind affected round in the 100th Spanish Open.
The 43-year old American, who captured the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, used a new Odyssey XG-7 putter in carding a five under par 67 no the Real de Golf de Sevilla course.
“It was just a battle of attrition out there today,” said Micheel.
“I played in the Pro-Am Wednesday and couldn’t manage one birdie so I changed my putter to an Odyssey XG-7 centre shaft and managed to hole eight birdies today.
Shaun Micheel driving off the 5th but it was his new Odyssey XG-7 putter that put the former PGA Champion into the lead on day one of the 100th Spanish Open. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“It’s the first time in two years I’ve tried a new putter and I also put the ball more forward in my stance to get more loft and the combination seemed to work well.”
Three players – the England duo of Robert Rock and Danny Willett and Spain’s Jorge Campillo – are tied in second place at four under par.
However all but around six of the leading 22 players were out in the afternoon half of the draw when conditions, despite continued rain and winds, were not as poor as the morning.
The Memphis-based Micheel is competing on the European Tour under a 10-year exemption in capturing the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill and his last victory.
As well, Micheel is balancing also competing with the help of invitations on the PGA Tour in an effort to regain full membership after forfeiting full playing rights at the end of last year.
Rock, winner over Tiger Woods in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship earlier this year, capped his round with two eagles in the space of four holes over his outward nine.
The current World No. 60 hit a 4-iron to six feet at the par five 13th and holed the putt and then landed an 8-iron to 25-feet at the par five 16th and also sank the putt.
However the bearded Englishman also sandwiched a 14th hole double bogey on his card.
“The first eagle was the more pleasing as it was a harder second shot but then I made a silly error on 14 trying to get out of a fairway bunker,” said Rock.
“But it was nice then to get those two dropped shots back at 16.”
Also on Rock’s mind is cementing his place in next month’s U.S. Open championship and avoiding the drama he faced last year in only arriving at Congressional on the very eve of the event.
“I’ve got this week next fortnight’s Volvo Match-Play Championship and then the BMW PGA at Wentworth to cement my place inside the top-60 and qualify for the U.S. Open,” he said.
“And after the rush in having to get a visa and not have any practice rounds it will be nice to go to San Francisco and prepare properly for the U.S Open.”
