Geiberger, Love Are on a Roll

By THOMAS BONK

Feb. 9, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

SAN DIEGO —

It’s obvious how you play well in the first round of the Buick Invitational. Brent Geiberger, who changed his putter, his attitude and his health, holds a one-shot lead over Davis Love III, who hasn’t changed a thing.

Because golf wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without the complaining, opening day must have been borderline hilarious for some of the pros (including Tiger Woods), who found the greens at Torrey Pines less than ideal Thursday.

The problem was that the greens were sort of bumpy. Sometimes they were really bumpy, a condition that was easy to tell, usually signaled by golf balls becoming airborne as they rolled on the greens.

“It’s not easy putting on these greens,” said Geiberger, who produced an eight-under 64 on the North Course.

Love eagled the 498-yard No. 18 on the South Course to finish with a 65, knocking in a 16-footer after a seven-iron from 172 yards. With that kind of finish, he decided to be tactful about the greens.

“I’m not going to say anything bad about them because I made [the putts],” Love said. “I had a couple of putts that hopped, a couple that I made. I’ve definitely putted on smoother greens. I wouldn’t say they’re great, but they’re not too bad.”

Even if the greens were sort of suspect, it didn’t seem to affect play that much. There were 115 players in the field at par or better, 92 under par and 47 in the 60s. What’s more, 11 players didn’t make a bogey, a parade led by Geiberger and Love.

Chris Smith, making his PGA Tour comeback after a year on the Buy.com Tour, is two shots off the lead after his 66. There’s an 11-way tie for fourth at five-under 67 that includes Brad Faxon, Frank Nobilo and Tommy Tolles.

Woods still has time, but he needs to begin making up ground in a hurry after opening with a two-under 70.

He seemed to be on his way toward a low round until he reached the par-three No. 6, his 15th hole. Already at four under, Woods hit what looked like a perfect six-iron, but the ball traveled about five yards too far and went over the green. Faced with a difficult pitch shot, he tried to flop the ball close to the hole, but he left it in the fringe. He finally chipped onto the green and two-putted for a double-bogey five.

“Well, that’s just the way it goes sometimes,” he said. “I tried as hard as I could, it just didn’t work.”

He had an eagle putt at the last hole, but it was an uphill 40-footer that he left about three feet short. He knocked in his putt and wound up with a birdie, six shots behind Geiberger.

Maybe it’s all the talk about Woods’ so-called slump, maybe it’s because he is still having problems on the greens, but he was not very happy when discussing his round.

“Only lipped out six today,” said Woods, who was asked what adjustments he would make for the second round.

“There’s a long time between now and then. Right now, I just need to go off on my own for a little bit.”

Jose Maria Olazabal, who played in Woods’ group, said it is apparent that Woods is struggling with his putting.

“I think the putting is bothering him,” Olazabal said. “But it’s just a matter of getting a few of them to drop and he’ll be all right.”

Defending champion Phil Mickelson felt well enough to eagle the last hole and post a four-under 68, which is a lot better than he could have expected after recovering from food poisoning.

“I wasn’t miserable,” he said. “Playing a round of golf, how bad can it be? But I’d rather have been laying in bed at home.”

Geiberger carded six birdies and he chipped in from off the green at the second hole for eagle. If others were bothered by the greens, Geiberger was not. He was having too good of a time with his new putter, an Odyssey, which he pulled out of his garage.

“I just got on a good roll today,” said Geiberger, who said he was frustrated by a slow recovery from a nerve problem in his neck and shoulder that bothered him last year.

At this stage, Love isn’t bothered by anything. He won last week at Pebble Beach, where he shot 28 on the front nine Sunday. He was near perfect Thursday on less than perfect greens. He made long putts (18 feet on No. 1, 20 feet on No. 5) and he made short putts (two feet at No. 11 and No. 15).

In fact, golf is going so well for him that he doesn’t even want to figure out why.

“You don’t ever try to do that,” he said. “You try to figure out why you’re playing bad.”

And Love isn’t playing anything close to badly.

“When you hit a good shot to win a tournament at the end, you don’t want to stop,” he said. “You want to do it again. It took a long time for Thursday to get here this week.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BUICK INVITATIONAL

First-round scores at Torrey Pines North and South courses

Brent Geiberger

32-32--64 -8

Davis Love III

33-32--65 -7

Chris Smith

34-32--66 -6

11 tied at -5

OTHERS

Corey Pavin