Sports

Scott, Furyk lead; Tiger, Phil struggle at PGA Championship

LINED UP: Adam Scott hits his second shot on the second hole during yesterday’s first round of the PGA Championship. (
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PITTSFORD, N.Y. — There he is again. Adam Scott at the top of a major championship leaderboard is becoming as commonplace as six-person deep galleries lining the ropes to see Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson play.

Scott, still high off his Masters victory in April but also ticked off about losing a second consecutive back-nine Sunday lead in the British Open last month, closed yesterday’s opening round of the PGA Championship with an impressive par-save scramble to shoot a 5-under-par 65, tying the same score Jim Furyk carded earlier in the day.

The two 65s were one shot off the course record at Oak Hill.

“Adam Scott seems to be playing well every week,” Rory McIlroy said after shooting 69. “There’s a lot of good players at the top of the leaderboard.”

But neither Woods nor Mickelson are among them.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP : OAK HILL HOLE-BY-HOLE

The No. 1 and No. 2 players in the world struggled, double bogeying their respective final holes (Woods on No. 9 and Mickelson No. 18) to shoot 1-over-par 71.

As for Scott, he called it “probably the best round I’ve ever had.” ’

“I felt good out there,’’ said Scott, who shot a 5-under-par 30 on the front nine. “I felt like I could swing freely and I was hitting all the shots I wanted to hit. When you get something going for you in a major, sometimes you have got to not be afraid to get out of your own way and let go. I did that [yesterday] for 10 or 11 holes. It’s a good feeling when you can swing freely like that.

“It was a dream start.”

Scott has had a roller coaster two years, throwing away the 2012 British Open, winning the Masters and then another final-round lost opportunity at the British last month, when he again held the lead on the back nine and took the wrong way home.

Furyk and Scott are followed closely by Englishman Lee Westwood and Canadian David Hearn, who are at 4-under par. Westwood, still seeking his first major, is just weeks removed from failing to close out a two-shot final-round lead at the British. Hearn is playing with house money, having gotten into the field when Brendon Jones withdrew the other day.

There is a large group at 3-under par, including Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Robert Garrigus, Jason Day and Marcus Fraser and Scott Piercy.

Unlike the hot Scott, Furyk has not played his best golf this season, having missed the cut at the U.S. Open at Merion and the British Open last month at Muirfield, but he finished in a tie for ninth last week in the Bridgestone Invitational.

“This is a U.S. Open style course and he is a U.S. Open champion,’’ Keegan Bradley said. “No one is surprised to see Jim Furyk on top of any leaderboard.’’

McIlroy agreed.

“It’s no surprise to see Jim is up there,” he said. “You don’t need to be particularly long on this golf course. It is a course that is tree-lined, which gives you a nice visual off the tee boxes and greens.’’

Scotsman Paul Lawrie, who shot 72, called Furyk’s 65 “an incredible score.’’

It was Furyk’s lowest opening round score in 19 PGA Championship appearances.

“Obviously, I’m pleased with the round,’’ he said. “I really felt in control this morning. It was nice to get off to a good start.’’

With 35 players shooting better than par, the players benefitted all day by moisture on the course from overnight thunderstorms and then a late- afternoon storm that suspended play for more than an hour.

“The course did offer the opportunity to get it going low, as Adam Scott proved,’’ said reigning U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, who shot 2-under par while playing with Scott. “He played some flawless golf.’’

Furyk, a veteran, said he knows despite whatever vulnerability the course showed it only will become more difficult as the week progresses.

“I’m happy that I played a good round,’’ he said. “I’m wise enough and been there enough that it is only Thursday. Right now, we are jockeying for position. I played a good round. But you don’t win the golf tournament on Thursday.’’