First-round notebook – Valero Texas Open
* Australian Nathan Green hit the first 16 greens in regulation and was 9-under par before missing the green (left) at the 186-yard, par-3 17th hole. Green did not reach the green on his second shot and needed a putt of 5 feet, 5 inches for a bogey-4. Green missed a birdie putt of 7 feet, 8 inches on the final hole and settled for an 8-under 62 for a two-stroke lead over Olin Browne and Paul Claxton.* The 62 marked a new career-low round on the PGA TOUR for Nathan Green. His previous TOUR-best score was a 63 (8 under) in the second round of the 2007 John Deere Classic, where he finished tied for third.
* This is the first time in Nathan Green's three-year PGA TOUR career that he has held the first-round lead. Green held a one-shot lead after both the second and third rounds of the 2007 John Deere Classic, where he finished three strokes back of winner Jonathan Byrd.
* Olin Browne posted a 6-under-par 64 Thursday and is tied for second, two shots back of leader Nathan Green. Browne has struggled in 2008, making only eight cuts in 24 starts. The 49-year old Ryder Cup Captain's Assistant comes into this week ranked No. 207 on the money list. Browne hit all 18 greens in regulation and 11 of 14 fairways. For the year, Browne is ranked No. 84 on TOUR in Greens in Regulation (64.29 percent) but he also is No. 1 in Driving Accuracy (79.75 percent)
* The 64 for Olin Browne is his lowest score on the PGA TOUR since a final-round 64 in the 2005 Valero Texas Open where he finished second.
* Paul Claxton birdied his final two holes to shoot a bogey-free 64 and is tied with Olin Browne two strokes off the lead. Claxton is in search of his first top-10 finish of the season and is playing in the Valero Texas Open for the third time. He finished tied for 15th here in 2005.
* Patrick Sheehan, runner-up here in 2004, shot a 5-under-par 65 Thursday. Four years ago, Sheehan posted rounds of 65-68-65-66-264 to finish at 16-under par, three strokes back of winner Bart Bryant. Sheehan comes into this week at No. 120 on the season money list ($750,497), having made the cut in 23 of 30 starts. His best finishes this year are a solo sixth at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun and a tie for sixth at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.
* Defending champion Justin Leonard shot an even-par 70 on Thursday. This was the first time that the former Texas Longhorn failed to break par on the first day in this tournament. The 70 is also Leonard's highest first-round score in this event in his 11 total starts. Leonard had an opening-round scoring average of 66.70 during his first 10 years and was a cumulative 41-under par for his initial 18 holes over that period.
* Chris DiMarco fired a 2-under-par 68 today, his first sub-par score in his last 13 rounds. DiMarco has missed the cut in his last four starts this year. In 2008, he has made 10 cuts in 25 starts with three top-25 finishes and currently stands No. 153 on the money list. His first-round scoring average this year is 72.48. DiMarco's last top-10 finish was a tie for fourth at the 2007 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational -- a span that currently stretches 28 tournaments.
* Jason Gore shot a 5-under 65 Thursday. Gore also shot a 5-under 65 during the opening round in 2003, his only previous start at La Cantera. Gore added rounds of 68-72-72 to finish tied for 68th that year.
* Greg Kraft, making his 15th start in this tournament, finished eagle-par-birdie-birdie-birdie for a 5-under 65, the best opening round he's had in this event. His previous best was a 66 in 2004. Kraft's best finish in this tournament was a tie for fourth in 1996.
* Austin, Texas, resident Joe Ogilvie birdied four of his final five holes for a 4-under 66. Ogilvie has made the cut in just three of eight starts in this tournament and owned a first-round scoring average of 71.13. Ogilvie ran off four consecutive birdies on holes 5-8, his closing nine.
* Tim Herron, winner of the 1997 LaCantera Texas Open, put together a bogey-free, 5-under 65 Thursday. Herron, who missed the cut at last week's Turning Stone Resort Championship, hit only six of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens but needed only 25 putts. When Herron won in '97, he opened with a 1-under 71. Herron comes into the week No. 103 on the money list.
* San Antonio is represented in the field this week by two players: Cameron Beckman 74 (+4) and Jimmy Walker 67 (-3).
* Brendan Pappas had an eagle-2 on the 316-yard, 7th hole. Pappas chipped in from 71 feet, 2 inches.
* Davis Love III had an eagle-2 on the 361-yard, 8th hole. Love knocked in his second shot from 82 yards.
* Jason Allred had an eagle-2 on the 361-yard, 8th hole. Allred knocked in his second shot from 69 yards.
* Martin Laird had an eagle-3 at the 665-yard, 1st hole. Laird's second shot from 288 yards stopped just 2 feet from the cup.
Return to Tournament Notebook archives