Jerry Kelly has intimate knowledge of the feeling that Michael Muehr and Bob Heintz each crave. He’s experienced that winning feeling on the PGA Tour.
Whether that gives the affable Kelly an advantage over Muehr and Heintz, with whom he shares second place at the Buick Classic after yesterday’s first round at the Westchester Country Club, isn’t known for sure. This much is, however: Muehr and Heintz, who both shot morning rounds of 6-under 65s, are desperate to break through with that first victory.
But PGA Tour veteran Loren Roberts, nicknamed the “Boss of the Moss” for his putting proficiency, crashed their party by taking the lead with a 7-under-par 64.
“I love this golf course,” Roberts said. “Quite honestly, we don’t play enough golf courses like this anymore, old and classic. I like the nuances of a course like this. It’s a great test of golf.”
This is Roberts’ 17th try at this tournament and he’s finished in the top 10 five times.
Heintz, who while at Yale won three Ivy League titles at Bethpage Black, said his first round consisted of “rolling in every putt I looked at.”
Like Heintz, Muehr, who grew up in nearby Livingston, N.J., also is searching for his first PGA Tour victory. The 65 was his low round of the year.
“When anyone asks me what my favorite courses are I immediately say the New York metropolitan area,” Muehr said. “I love the old courses like this and Bethpage, so to be able to play the Open at Bethpage will be great. All of my best friends are either in New York City or Hoboken. I’ll sure I’ll have a good crowd over the weekend. I feel like this is my home.”
Retief Goosen, who stands three shots back of the lead at 4-under, insisted he’s not looking ahead to Bethpage for his U.S. Open title defense.
“I’m not thinking about next week yet,” Goosen said. “This week is the tournament I’m trying to do well in. I feel like I’m hitting the ball quite nicely.”
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There were three holes-in-one yesterday. Steve Allan holed out a 9-iron 142 yards on No. 8. Angel Cabrera holed out a 9-iron from 149 yards out on No. 6. And Larry Mize put a 3-iron 223 yards into the cup on No. 16.
Two-time Buick Classic winner Ernie Els and defending champion Sergio Garcia are lurking well within winning distance at 3-under, as are Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman and Fred Couples. Phil Mickelson is at 2-under.