Pampling within two shots
Friday, 27 January 2012
Australia's Rod Pampling is just two shots off the lead after the opening round at the Farmers Insurance Open in California.
Pampling fired an eight-under round of 64 to be tied for fourth place behind overnight leaders Kyle Stanley and Spencer Levin.
Stanley carded a 10-under 62 that included an eagle on the 18th after a huge 380-yard drive.
The American made nine birdies and bogey on the more generous Torrey Pines North Course after Levin shot into an early lead with his 62.
Bill Haas started strongly and is in outright third at nine-under despite double-bogeying the par-three sixth, his 15th hole of the day.
American duo Josh Teater and John Huh finished the North Course at eight-under level with Pampling and Fijian Vijay Singh.
Fifteen of the top 16 players on the leaderboard played the North Course, including Dustin Johnson, who's in a tie for 13th at six-under.
American Marc Turnesa is the only player at six-under to play the tougher South Course with Marco Dawson and Brandt Snedeker well positioned a shot further back at five-under.
Meanwhile, four-time major winner Phil Mickelson had a torrid time on the South Course after carding a five-over 77.
Of the other Australians in the tournament, Greg Chalmers (65), Gavin Coles (68), Robert Allenby (68), Nick O'Hern (69), Aaron Baddeley (70) and Stuart Appleby (71) all finished under-par, while compatriots Marc Leishman, Geoff Ogilvy and Nathan Green signed for 72's.
Fellow Australians Jarrod Lyle (73), Steven Bowditch (74), Mathew Goggin (75) and Matthew Giles (75) all struggled in the opening round to finish over-par.