GOLF BAY HILL INVITATIONAL:JASON GORE birdied three of his last four holes after starting at the 10th to take a one-shot lead into the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Florida.
Pádraig Harrington is five shots back after an opening round of level par 70 in which he mixed three birdies – at the second, eighth and 12th with bogeys at the fifth, 11th and 15th in halves of 34 and 35.
Early starter Tim Herron shares second place with Jeff Overton. Tiger Woods’s bid for a sixth win at Bay Hill got off to an impressive start as a two-under 68 left him just three shots off the lead.
Despite a double bogey seven at the par-five sixth, five birdies and just a lone bogey at the 17th saw the world number one move ominously up the leaderboard.
Woods birdied the first but eights pars and that double at six left him one over par teeing off at the 11th.
But a blistering run of four straight birdies elevated him to just one off the pace before a missed green and bogey at the 17th knocked him back to two-under where he stayed with a par on 18.
Former winner Herron piled up six birdies and two bogeys for a four-under-par 66 where he was joined later by Overton and Gore.
Although he dropped his second shot of the day on his penultimate hole after driving into the right rough, he rolled in an eight-footer to par the last and stay one ahead of compatriot Sean O’Hair.
O’Hair shares third place with Lee Janzen, Mark Wilson, Nick Watney, Stuart Appleby and Hunter Mahan on 67.
Swede Daniel Chopra and Americans Skip Kendall and Chad Campbell were a further stroke back after opening with 68s.
“I hit a lot of fairways and when it was needed I hit some shots in there close and capitalised on some putts,” said Herron after taking early control of the tournament.
“Mechanically, I feel like I’m hitting it well, I’m putting well, I’m chipping it well and my bunker play is always pretty good.
The 39-year-old Herron is a four-times winner on the PGA Tour but has not won since the 2006 Colonial tournament.
O’Hair was a little disappointed with his putting, despite having charged into contention with four birdies and a lone bogey.
“I hit the ball really well but didn’t quite make a lot of putts,” he said.
A nightmare finish sent early leader Kenny Perry tumbling down the leaderboard, Starting from the 10th, Perry had moved to three under par after 14 holes to take a share of the lead among the early starters. But the 48-year-old then hit trouble, recording three bogeys in succession to fall back to level par.
Perry, who won the FBR Open at the end of January, closed with a par to lie five shots adrift of Herron.
Graeme McDowell finished on one over par 71 after mixing four birdies with five bogeys. Ian Poulter crashed to an opening 77 with two double bogeys, four bogeys and one birdie.
Selected round two tee times:
Starting at hole 1: 12.13 Graeme McDowell, 13.11 Jason Gore, Tim Herron 17.52. Starting at hole 10: 12.25 Mark Wilson, 12.25 Pádraig Harrington,Tiger Woods, Jeff Overton.
