Love Shoots 63, Leads in Phoenix Open by 3

Davis Love III parlayed a new putter and the best score of his career, an eight-under-par 63, into a three-stroke lead Thursday in the first round of the $650,000 Phoenix Open golf tournament.

Love, 23, finished off his bogey-free round with an eagle-par-birdie-birdie string that accounted for four of the nine 3’s he scattered across his card on the TPC Course.

Love, one of golf’s longest hitters, stroked a 5-iron second shot 215 yards to the green to set up his eagle-3 on the 15th hole.

“The golf course is in perfect shape. The greens are as good as you can expect. And the weather was perfect,” Love said.

PGA champion Larry Nelson had two eagles in a round of 66 that put him in a tie for second place with Chip Beck, Ken Brown of Scotland and Steve Jones.