Lonard shares Viking Classic lead
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2011 Viking Classic | Day One | 15 Jul 2011
Peter Lonard has made good use of his late call up to play the PGA Tour’s Viking Classic by shooting an opening round of 65 to share the lead at the end of day one.
Lonard, who was on his way to this week’s Nationwide Tour event in Ohio when he got the news of his start at the event in Mississippi, headed to the Annandale Golf Club and put together one of his best putting displays in a long time. His round included just 23 putts.
Lonard holed a 20 foot birdie putt at his first hole (the course’s 10th) and although he made a mess of the par five 11th when taking four to get down from 110 yards he soon recovered by picking up four more birdies before the turn and then adding three more on the way home including at his final two holes of the day.
It is Lonard’s first PGA Tour event since November of 2009 but in recent starts on the Nationwide Tour there have been signs of improvement after spending most of 2010 on the sidelines as he recovered from knee and hip surgery.
Lonard shares the lead with Tim Petrovic, John Mallinger, Brendon de Jonge, Sunghoo Kang and 2010 New Zealand Open Champion Bobby Gates.
Rod Pampling continued his good recent form to be tied in 16th position after a round of 67 while pre tournament favourite John Senden and Jarrod Lyle are the next best Australians in 48th position with three under 69’s.
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