Hot Start In Tucson

[Yoda]

John just rolled in an 18-footer on #11. He's -6 for the day and T-2! He's now 26 feet from the hole on the par 3 12th, ranked as the 5th hardest hole on the course.

[Yoda]

Par. Par. Par.

Now John's got it 81 yards from the hole on the 610-yard 15th. Needs to pick up another birdie and break this four way log-jam at -6. The other three guys are done (Waldorf, Kelly and former champ Hjertstedt).

Whoa! Looks like it's going to happen. He's just stiffed it to 2' 4"!

Waiting...

Still waiting...

YES!

7-UNDER!

[Uppndownn]

The crowd erupts!!!!!!!

[Yoda]

Rats.

First bogey of the day.

John was in the fringe 36 feet from the hole in regulation. But he left it short (6' 9") and couldn't get the next one down. Back to -6 with two to play.

Next up is the 186-yard par three 17th. Largest green on the course. Can play up to four clubs difference front-to-back. Fourth toughest hole.

Here we go...

John just hit it 194 yards right over the top of the flag to 25' 9".

He called me during the PGA Show last month while I was talking with V.J. Trolio in his Putting Arc booth. He asked me to send him a Putting Arc, so I did, and he's been working with it this past week. Says it's helping. With today's average of 1.538 Putts per GIR and 8 one-putts overall, it sure looks like it!

[EdZ]

Thanks for the play by play Yoda

That was fun to read, and I'm sure fun to do! Great playing John!

[Yoda]

Routine two-putt at 17.

He's hit it 282 yards down the middle on the 18th. And just now, from 186 yards, he's hit it 12 feet. Roll that sucker in, John!

....

....

AAGGHH! Just missed!

A 4-inch tap-in for a ...

66!

Great round, John Riegger!

[Bagger Lance]

Nice Round John! Solid!
One swing thought...WIN

[Yoda]

Okay, guys and gals, you've got TV duty tonight. The night owls can watch today's Tuscon play from 11 PM to 1 AM on USA. Everybody else...

Set those VCRs and TIVOs and watch it tomorrow. 'Cuz you just know that John Riegger will get the serious air time he deserves!

Also, there may be a little Riegger action on The Golf Channel and Golf Central at 9 PM.

Finally, I may be more than a little biased, but John's holed bunker shot at the first gets my vote for Shot of the Day!

[6bmike]

Okay, guys and gals, you've got TV duty tonight. The night owls can watch today's Tuscon play from 11 PM to 1 AM on USA. Everybody else...

Set those VCRs and TIVOs and watch it tomorrow. 'Cuz you just know that John Riegger will get the serious air time he deserves!

Also, there may be a little Riegger action on The Golf Channel and Golf Central at 9 PM.

Finally, I may be more than a little biased, but John's holed bunker shot at the first gets my vote for Shot of the Day!

gonna stick a tape in..... others may TiVo

[Yoda]

Sometimes, a player shoots 66 and you read about the miles of putts he needed to make it happen. Not so in John Riegger's round today. Instead, it was 'business as usual' for this fine Ball striker. He's been hitting the Ball great lately but getting nothing out of it. Well, today he got something out of it. And that 'something' -- a 6-under par first round and a tie for 2nd in a 144-man field -- was exactly what he deserved.

Take a look at today's very impressive stats:

Driving Distance: 289.7 yards.

Longest drive: 301 yards.

Driving Accuracy: 85.7 percent.

In other words, LONG and STRAIGHT, with a Total Driving stat that ranks today's performance in the 93rd percentile.
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Greens in Regulation: 77.7 percent

Average distance from the pin: 19' 7"
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Scrambling percentage: 75 percent

Average Scrambling distance from the pin: 3' 11"
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Average putts per GIR: 1.571

Number of one-putts: 8
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Yes sir. That's a mighty fine day. A mighty fine day indeed.