Rose on top by one at Disney
Lake Buena Vista, FL (Sports Network) - Justin Rose fired a seven-under 65 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Children's Miracle Network Classic.
Rose, who is looking for his first PGA Tour win, entered the event ranked 96th on the money list. He is in no danger of losing his tour card as the top 125 on the money list after this week will keep their playing privileges for 2010.
Rickie Fowler is trying to earn enough money to skip Q School and earn his PGA Tour card.
He opened with a 66 and shares second place with Greg Owen and Casey Wittenberg, who stands 159th on the money list.
Fowler has to make at least $70,000 this week to earn the amount of money that David Duval has made this season. Duval, who entered the week at No. 125 on the money list, is tied for 124th in the 127-player field after struggling to a four-over 76. He'll need to shoot at least 67 to make the cut on Friday.
The first two rounds are split between the Magnolia Golf Course and Palm Golf Course at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Duval, who played the Palm course on Thursday, is not the only one in danger of losing his tour card. Among those outside the top 125 on the money list and outside the projected cut line include Nicholas Thompson (72), Tommy Armour III (72), Todd Hamilton (74) and Dean Wilson (75).
Rose used two big spurts to claim the first-round lead. He started on the back nine of the Palm Course and ran off three birdies in a four-hole span from the 11th. Rose parred four straight to turn in three-under.
The Englishman birdied the first, before making three pars in a row. Rose then poured in three consecutive birdie chances from the fifth to jump into the lead at minus-seven. He parred the last two to end there.
"Although the courses aren't the most difficult in the world, I guess [bogey- free rounds] are pretty few and far between because it certainly was tricky out there," admitted Rose. "Even good shots at times weren't going close to the flags because of gusting winds.
"But I drove the ball well, got it in play on every hole. When I did hit a scratchy iron shot, my short game was really solid." Fowler was one-under through 12 holes with two birdies and a bogey. He ran off five birdies in his last six holes to jump into a share of second.
"I definitely think about it off the course," said Fowler of the thought of skipping Q School. "When I'm out there playing, I'm just trying to get the ball in the hole as fast as I can and get things going. It was a nice start today and it's definitely a good jump start to the week, but there's a lot of golf left." Owen birdied three of four from the 11th, but dropped a shot on No. 18. He posted four more birdies on the front nine to share second.
Wittenberg poured in five consecutive birdie efforts from the 11th. He grabbed a piece of the lead alongside Fowler with a birdie on the first, but Wittenberg stumbled to a bogey on the fourth. He recovered that stroke on the fifth, but parred out to share second. Wittenberg, along with Fowler and Owen, all played the Palm Course on Thursday.
Cliff Kresge and Kris Blanks, who both need big weeks to keep their PGA Tour cards for next season, opened with five-under 67s.
They are tied for fifth with Will MacKenzie, Matt Bettencourt, Rick Price and Zach Johnson.
Chris DiMarco, who also needs a big week to keep his tour card for next year, opened with a 68 and shares 11th place with nine other players.
Defending champion Davis Love III shot a one-over 73 Thursday, then withdrew after the round.
He played the round with a stiff neck, which caused him to pull out of the event.
11/12 18:25:39 ET
