Buick Open : Opening Rounds
Only two weeks removed from the grind of the US Open, this week the players at the Buick Open get some much needed relief in two very important ways.
Warwick Hills is a fun course that allows for a light atmosphere which produces low scores
Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh are not in the field for the first time since 2001. Combined they have won four out of the past five Buick Opens
Have at it boys!
One player taking advantage of the jovial feeling and the Tiger/Vijay-free event was Brett Quigley.
Quigley, in search of his first win in his seventh season on the PGA Tour, held a two stroke lead over Jim Furyk with nine holes to play. Quigley backed up his Thursday 65 with a 33 on the front nine. Just as the upbeat nature of the tournament seemed to push Quigley into the lead--it back-fired. Quigley got too comfortable with the easy back nine at Warwick Hills ahead of him. Instead of his desired three or four stroke lead, he shot an even par back nine which left him at 10-under par and opened the door for many players.
In most cases even par is good, not at the Buick Open where scores regularly reach 20 under par.
Once Quigley allowed the field to catch-up, Kenny Perry entered the picture.
A lackluster 71 placed Perry in a tie for 73rd after the first round. But a nine under-par 63 vaulted him 73 spots into the lead. He birdied five of his first seven holes to go out in 31. He then got to 11-under par after an eagle at the par-5 8th and held a one stroke lead before bogeying his final hole to drop into a tie for the top spot with Quigley.
Perry was the 2001 Buick Open champion.
Another former Buick winner tied atop the leaderboard is the 2003 champ Jim Furyk. This is Furyk’s first event played after he failed to capture his second US Open title two weeks ago. Despite his mistake on the 71st hole at Oakmont, Furyk is playing well again and again is in contention.
This should serve as no surprise. Since 2001, Furyk has never finished outside of the top-ten at this event recording two runner-up finishes and broke up Woods and Singh’s dominance at Warwick Hills when he defeated both of them in 2003.
It would seem that experience trumps the fun-loving attitude that so many players have at the Buick Open. Five of the top eight golfers are former winners at this event.
