Hot Perry Perry shoots record 61

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Kenny Perry shot a course record-equalling 61 at TPC River Highlands to take the lead in the Travelers Championship.

Kenny Perry shot a course record-equalling 61 at TPC River Highlands on Thursday to secure the first round lead in the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
Perry had his sights set on becoming the fourth player in PGA Tour history to shoot a 59 after making the turn in 29 on a short, 6,841-yard course softened by the relentless rain in the US north-east and with little wind in Cromwell.
Hopes of matching Al Geiberger in 1977, Chip Beck in 1991 and David Duval 10 years ago grew weaker when Perry missed a short birdie putt on the par-three 16th and needing a birdie, birdie finish to get to 59, he had to settle for par on both the closing two holes.
Despite a nine-birdie, no-bogey round that needed just 25 putts, Perry was left a little disappointed with having become the fifth person to shoot a 61 at TPC River Highlands.
“It’s good I guess, but it’s only Thursday,” Perry said. “That’s not my ultimate goal.
“It was an easy round, very relaxed. I hit it where I needed to hit it on every hole, didn’t hit it in the rough anywhere, my iron game was really sharp.
“I felt like my game was coming, I knew I didn’t play very well last week (at the US Open) in the rain and poor conditions and I felt like my game was changing. I hit some real quality iron shots.
“It was just a great start, a nice, fun almost magical round. I was hoping to get that number.”
The benign conditions made it a day of low scoring and Perry’s nine under par lead was kept at two shots by 63s from fellow Americans Paul Goydos and Charles Warren, with Perry’s Ryder Cup Valhalla team-mate Boo Weekley, Tag Ridings – who aced the 155-yard par-three 11th, Spencer Levin and Australia’s Greg Chalmers lying a further shot back on six under.
US Open champion Lucas Glover and the Bethpage Black joint runner-up Ricky Barnes were among the nine players shooting five-under 65s with 20 players including Vijay Singh of Fiji and US Ryder Cuppers Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim on four under.
World number four Sergio Garcia, the highest ranked player in the field, Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik and England’s Greg Owen finished the day with 67s.
Another Englishman, Justin Rose, and Swede Fredrik Jacobsen were among those shooting 68s while Londoner Brian Davis was at level par following his 70.
While the US heroes from Valhalla enjoyed a good day in Connecticut, their captain from last last September’s victory over Europe Paul Azinger had a far less satisfying day.
After shooting a 68, Azinger was disqualified for playing a non-conforming ball.
All the first round scores in the USPGA Tour Travelers Championship, The TPC at River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut, United States of America.
(USA unless stated, par 70):
61 Kenny Perry
63 Charles Warren, Paul Goydos
64 Spencer Levin, Tag Ridings, Boo Weekley, Greg Chalmers (Aus)
65 Jerry Kelly, D.A. Points, Ricky Barnes, Aaron Watkins, Mathew Goggin (Aus), John Merrick, Lucas Glover, David Toms, Y.E. Yang (Kor)
66 Robert Garrigus, Colt Knost, Brian Gay, Chez Reavie, Vijay Singh (Fij), Ken Duke, Bo Van Pelt, Nicholas Thompson, Luke List, Kyle Stanley, Lee Janzen, Bubba Watson, Brian Bateman, Hunter Mahan, Billy Andrade, Charlie Wi (Kor), Anthony Kim, J J Henry, Johnson Wagner, D.J. Trahan, Ryan Moore
67 Patrick Sheehan, Chris Riley, Aron Price (Aus), Bill Lunde, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Greg Owen (Eng), Matt Bettencourt, Webb Simpson, Joe Durant, Chad Campbell, Bryce Molder, Briny Baird, Frank Lickliter II, Jason Bohn, Jesper Parnevik (Swe), Zach Johnson, Tim Herron, Mark Brooks, Joe Ogilvie, Casey Wittenberg, Steve Lowery, Cliff Kresge, Peter Lonard (Aus), Kevin Na, Jeff Maggert, Jarrod Lyle (Aus), Kevin Stadler, Jay Williamson, Scott Verplank, Brandt Snedeker, Tommy Gainey
68 Jonathan Kaye, Paul Azinger, Ben Curtis, Heath Slocum, James Driscoll, Nick O’Hern (Aus), Will MacKenzie, Daniel Chopra (Swe), Justin Rose (Eng), Dean Wilson, Tim Petrovic, Bob Heintz, Matt Weibring, Jason Gore, Kent Jones, Kris Blanks, Chris DiMarco, Ted Purdy, Kevin Streelman, Dustin Johnson, Michael Allen, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Rich Beem, Corey Pavin, Glen Day
69 Kirk Triplett, Vaughn Taylor, Gary Woodland, Woody Austin, Kevin Sutherland, Bob Tway, Steve Elkington (Aus), Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Steve Marino, Justin Leonard, Nathan Green (Aus), Ryan Palmer, Tyler Aldridge, Stuart Appleby (Aus)
70 Brendon De Jonge, Michael Letzig, Brian Davis (Eng), Scott McCarron, Billy Mayfair, Jeff Quinney, David Berganio Jnr., Mathias Gronberg (Swe), John Rollins, Roland Thatcher, Ryuji Imada (Jpn), David Mathis, Olin Browne
71 Peter Tomasulo, Chris Stroud, Pat Perez, Steve Flesch, Darron Stiles, Stewart Cink, Harrison Frazar, Derek Fathauer, Brian Vranesh, Ben Crane, Scott Sterling, Marc Leishman (Aus), Leif Olson, Scott Gutschewski, Patton Kizzire
72 Stephen Leaney (Aus), Matthew Borchert, Rickie Fowler
73 Brad Adamonis, Notah Begay III, Brendon Todd, Wil Collins, Jimmy Walker, Marc Turnesa
74 Brad Faxon, Danny Lee (Nzl), Eric Axley, Steve Allan (Aus)
75 John Bushka, Tony Kelley, Rick Price, Brent Geiberger
76 Troy Kelly, Martin Catalioto, James Oh (Kor)
79 Mike Capone

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