It's No Record, but Lehman Shares Lead

L.A. Times Archives

June 11, 1999 12 AM PT

<i> From Associated Press</i>

Tom Lehman admits it. When he got to nine under par after 14 holes of the St. Jude Classic at Memphis, Tenn., he thought about shooting a below-60 round.

“Actually, I did,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’m hitting the ball pretty well. With four holes to play, I can make three birdies.’ ”

Instead, he made par the next three holes and took his only bogey on his 18th hole to end up with an eight-under 63 on Thursday and in a tie for the first-round lead with Hal Sutton and David Frost.

“I hit a good shot on my 15th hole,” Lehman said. “I hit a good shot on my 16th hole and I hit a good shot on my 17th hole. I just could not get the ball in the hole.”

Only three players have shot 59s on the PGA Tour. Al Geiberger did it in 1977 when the St. Jude was called the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, Chip Beck did it in 1991 at the Las Vegas Invitational, and David Duval did it this year at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

“I thought about it on the [15th] tee, and didn’t really think about it again until I missed the putt” on the 15th, said Lehman, who has not won a PGA Tour event since 1996.

“But 59s just seem to happen. The more you think about it and the more you push for it . . . that’s when you get out of what’s gotten you to the point where you can shoot 59. When that thought pops in, it’s better to let it pop right out.”

Defending St. Jude champion Nick Price, Clarence Rose, Jimmy Green and Phil Blackmar are tied for second, one shot off the lead. Curtis Strange was among a group two strokes behind, and 1997 champion Greg Norman and Paul Azinger were three shots back.

Sergio Garcia, the 19-year-old Spanish prodigy, was forced to withdraw and underwent minor surgery when an abscess developed above his left eye. He is expected to recover in time to play the Irish Open next month.

Sutton, who has resurrected his career in the last two years, used terrific iron play in a bogey-free round.

“I hit a lot of really good iron shots today and hit the ball close most of the day, so that’s why I was able to make a lot of birdies,” he said.

Frost, frustrated by his recent lackluster play, said he wasn’t sure he would even enter the St. Jude until a couple of days before the tournament. He arrived Wednesday night and teed off at 7:42 a.m. Thursday.

He joked that preparation was the key to his low round of the year. Actually, it was his short game. He holed a 25-foot wedge shot on the 10th hole and made several birdie putts of 10 feet or more, including a 25-footer on No. 17.

“A lot of guys, their long game keeps them alive. But I prefer having a short game keep me alive, because the older you get, the more that part of the game leaves you behind,” he said.

With the temperature in the low-to-mid 90s this week and sun shining brightly, the greens at the Tournament Players Club at Southwind have been heavily watered, leaving them soft and allowing the players to aim for the flags.

Jean Zedlitz, benefiting from a bit of tinkering with her swing, opened with a four-under 68 to join Michele Redman in the lead of the LPGA Rochester International at Rochester, N.Y.

“It’s now all starting to come together,” said Zedlitz, who until recent weeks had fared poorly on tour since 1995. “If you get stuck in a rut, you lose confidence. . . . Things are looking up.”

Meg Mallon, Michelle McGann and Canada’s Dawn Coe-Jones were among 10 players two shots off the pace at two under. One shot further back on the crowded leaderboard were 17 players, notably Dale Eggeling.

In January, Zedlitz said she overcame her tendency to “do things on my own” and sought out a golf instructor. The result: smoother iron play, a renewed faith in her ability and hot spells with her putter.

She two-putted from 33 feet for an opening bogey at the tree-lined Locust Hill course, but her touch on the greens was good from then on. She dropped a 32-foot birdie putt on No. 14 and a 21-foot eagle putt on No. 17.

Last week, Zedlitz tied for 30th in the U.S. Women’s Open.

Redman posted three consecutive birdies on the front nine, sinking putts from six, seven and 25 feet. A 10-foot birdie putt on No. 17 gave her an outright lead before she bogeyed the 18th.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

In Front

Leaders through Thursday’s play:

ST. JUDE CLASSIC: Par 72

Hal Sutton 32-31: 63 -8

David Frost 33-30: 63 -8

Tom Lehman 33-30: 63 -8

Clarence Rose 35-29: 64 -7

Phil Blackmar 31-33: 64 -7

Nick Price 32-32: 64 -7

Jimmy Green 31-33: 64 -7

LPGA AT ROCHESTER: Par 72