Oct 9, 2008 - 6:42 PM
0 shoutsTIMONIUM, Maryland (Ticker) - Phil Blackmar grabbed a share of the lead at the Senior Players Championship despite a wildly inconsistent opening round.
Blackmar shot a 5-under 65 Thursday to join Ireland's Des Smyth and Bruce Fleisher atop the leaderboard in the final major of the season on the Champions Tour.
A non-winner on the Champions Tour, Blackmar carded seven birdies, an eagle and four bogeys on Baltimore Country Club's Five Farms East Course.
Smyth and Fleisher were much steadier. Smyth had five birdies in his bogey-free round while Fleisher reeled off four straight birdies (Nos. 2-5) en route to his 65.
Smyth, who came into the event without a top-20 finish this year, was one of just four players in the field without a bogey.
A two-time winner on the Champions Tour, the Irishman credited a swing change for his effort Thursday. His best result since May has been a tie for 41st.
"I've had a poor year. It's been a struggle," Smyth said. "I've worked on my backswing and shoulder turn. You can't play this course from the rough. It pays to hit it in the fairway."
Fleisher had just two top-10 finishes in 2008 but is coming off a tie for fifth at the SAS Championship.
"I didn't anticipate this at all," Fleisher said. "The round could have been better but I'm happy. Nice to get out of the box this week.
"You never know what happens on this course. It's very demanding."
Bernhard Langer and Fred Funk head a list of four players at 66 that includes Scott Hoch and Eduardo Romero.
Jay Haas, who leads the Schwab Cup points list, got off to a solid start, signing for a 3-under 67. He is tied with six other players, including Ben Crenshaw, who had his only bogey at No. 18 after four birdies in the first six holes.
Defending champion Loren Roberts is among a cluster of five players at 2-under 68. Roberts, who is in seventh place on the Schwab Cup list, posted a six-stroke victory here last year.
The $2.6 million event is Roberts' last chance at capturing a major championship for the fourth straight season. He has eight career titles on the senior circuit, including one this season at the Commerce Bank Championship in June.
Haas has held the top spot in the Schwab Cup for 10 of the last 12 weeks. He has two wins this season, the Senior PGA Championship and the Principal Charity Classic, which he won back-to-back a little over four months ago.
First prize is $390,000.
