Nicklaus bogey-free enroute to a 67
Associated Press
LUTZ, Fla. (Feb. 16) -- The Golden Bear is back on the leaderboard.
Jack Nicklaus shot a 4-under 67 on Friday for a share of the first-round lead with Doug Tewell in the Verizon Classic.
"I managed my game well," Nicklaus of his bogey-free round on the TPC at Tampa Bay. "I didn't play one of my better rounds of golf, but I scored one of my better rounds."
Nicklaus, 61, is winless since 1996.
"I haven't had a lot of fun in my golf game since I got my hip done," said Nicklaus, who had hip replacement surgery in January 1999. "I don't want to be doing something I can't do. I love playing golf. I don't want to hack it around."
Around Christmas, almost two years after his hip procedure, Nicklaus noticed a marked physical improvement.
"Guys have come back from it, but it takes a while," Nicklaus said. "I didn't think it would take that long. I just feel good. I'm tickled with that."
Tewell overcame two front-nine bogeys with four birdies over the final seven holes.
"I had some bad breaks on the front nine," Tewell said. "I stayed patient. The golf course was docile at the outset. The wind picked up on the back nine."
Ray Floyd, rebounding from an upper respiratory infection, opened with a 68.
"I've done my spring training on the golf course," Floyd said. "I feel good, but my wife is home in bed (with the same ailment). It's run through my family."
Floyd birdied four of five holes, starting at the eighth.
"It was a very comfortable round," Floyd said. "My best round in a while. I missed just three fairways. I needed that with the conditions. The golf course was set up difficult, which I like."
Defending champion Bruce Fleisher, Jim Holtgrieve and Allen Doyle shot 69s. Twelve players, including Hale Irwin and Leonard Thompson, had 70s. Lee Trevino shot a 72, and Tom Watson had a 73. Larry Nelson, a two-time winner this season, opened with a 75.
The winner will receive $210,000 from the $1.4 million purse.
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