Hunter Mahan tops leaderboard at PGA Tour`s Canadian Open at Angus Glen in Ontario
Released on = July 27, 2007, 11:18 am
Press Release Author = GolfPublisher Syndications
Industry = Media
Press Release Summary = Hunter Mahan tops leaderboard at Canadian Open. PGA Tour coverage at WorldGolf.com
Press Release Body = From WorldGolf.com News Services, Golf Publisher Syndications
The round turned in by Hunter Mahan in Thursday\'s opening day of the Canadian Open was remarkable for several reasons.
Not only did Mahan tie the tournament record with a 9-under-par 62, but he also did it in spectacular style. The 25-year-old Texas resident was powered by three eagles - two of them coming when he holed out approach shots on par-4 holes.
\"Yeah, it was crazy -- two hole-outs on the fairway -- so, some things I\'ve never done before,\" Mahan told reporters. \"I played pretty solid other than that, so it was a good way to start the day.\"
Mahan enters the second round with a two-shot lead over Steve Allan. Tripp Isenhour and David Hearn are both three strokes back after shooting 65 on Angus Glen Golf Club at Markham, Ontario.
Mahan started his round on the 10th hole with a birdie. He then made a 10-foot putt for eagle on No. 11 and another birdie on No. 12 to start 4-under-par after three holes.
After another birdie at No. 15 and a bogey at No. 17, Mahan holed out from 189 yards with a 6-iron on the par-4 18th. On his final hole of the day at No. 9, Mahan spun the ball back into the hole from 81 yards away.
\"I didn\'t see it, but I kind of heard the crowd kind of ooh and ah when it went in and I was like, 'Wow, that\'s crazy,\'\" Mahan said. \"That doesn\'t happen.\"
Mahan is one of just four players to shoot a 62 in the Canadian Open. The others include Leonard Thompson (1981), Andy Bean (1983) and Greg Norman (1986) - all three accomplishing their feats at Glen Abbey.
\"That is pretty special, especially a tournament like this that\'s been around forever,\" Mahan said of tying the mark. \"That\'s kind of neat.\"
Allan, who enjoyed his best first-round performance in a PGA Tour event, said he was pleased just to be in the tournament. After barely making it through Q-School, Allan has had trouble qualifying for as many events as he\'d like to play in.
\"It\'s been tough to get any momentum,\" said Allan, whose best finish of 2007 came last week when he tied for 13th in the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. \"I\'ve only been able to get into 13 tournaments and I haven\'t been able to make a big enough move to get myself established.\"
Mahan\'s play is representative of what he\'s done already this year in what has to be considered a breakthrough season. The former Oklahoma State star has won $2.1 million with four top-10 finishes, including his first PGA Tour victory at the Travelers Championship.
Since then, he tied for eighth in the AT&T National and finished tied for sixth in the British Open.
\"I\'ve been swinging great,\" Mahan said. \"I\'ve been driving it really, really good, hitting my irons solid and just my mind\'s been helping me more than anything else.
\"I\'ve been out there trying to be a cheerleader for myself, instead of being the enemy of myself. I\'m trying to be calm and not get overexcited and that\'s helping a lot.\"
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July 27, 2007 Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.
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