Donald sets pace

Britain's Luke Donald equalled the course record at Spyglass Hill with a 10-under-par 62 to take a one-shot lead in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am first round on Thursday. Canada's Mike Weir was alone in second place after shooting a 10-birdie 63.

The 28-year-old Englishman reeled off eight birdies and an eagle at the par-five 14th, where he holed out with a sand iron from 96 yards, in almost perfect conditions on the Monterey Peninsula.

Ryder Cup player Donald, who got to six under after six holes, matched the 62 fired by Phil Mickelson at the same venue in the opening round of last year's tournament.

"These are the days you look forward to," Donald told reporters after improving on his previous best score on the PGA Tour by two shots.

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"All the practice pays off and it's nice to do it in a setting like this, too. To shoot 62 is very pleasing.

"I have put in a lot of hard work over the winter, especially on my putting, and it's nice to see it pay off."

Canada's Mike Weir, the 2003 U.S. Masters champion, was alone in second place after shooting a 10-birdie 63 at the hosting Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Left-hander Weir was impressed by Donald's performance over the toughest of the three venues.

LOW SCORES

"I knew there were going to be some low scores today, but 10 under at Spyglass?" he said.

"Of the lower scores, I thought there might be more on this golf course than the other two. Luke obviously played a great round over at Spyglass to do that."

GOLF 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach 1st round Mike Weir

Image credit: Reuters

Americans Arron Oberholser, Michael Allen and Nick Watney were a further two strokes back in a tie for third after carding 65s, Oberholser at Poppy Hills, Allen at Spyglass Hill and Watney at Pebble Beach.

Another Briton, Brian Davis, and South Africa's Tim Clark were among a group on 66, both players having opened at Pebble Beach.

Champion Mickelson was in a tie for 10th after returning a roller-coaster 67 at Poppy Hills which included eight birdies, three bogeys, an eagle and a double-bogey six.

World number two Vijay Singh, the 2004 winner, and American Ryder Cup players Jim Furyk and Chris DiMarco opened with 68s.

Donald, who tied for 11th in last year's tournament, made a fast start after teeing off at the par-four 10th in bright sunshine.

He birdied 11, 12 and 13, eagled 14 and birdied 15 after hitting a pitching wedge to 12 feet.

FINAL FLOURISH

Out in six-under 30, he picked up further shots on one, five and seven before signing off with a flourish at the last, coolly sinking a 12-foot birdie putt and pumping his first in celebration.

"That's definitely up there with the best rounds of my career, although conditions were so nice," Donald said. "There was no wind today. I have never seen the weather this good at Pebble Beach.

"Usually Spyglass is colder and a little wetter and it plays probably the longest of all the courses. But, with the weather conditions, it's definitely playing shorter than I've ever played it."

Donald, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2002 Southern Farm Bureau Classic, described his round as almost routine after his rousing start.

"It almost didn't feel that great in a way," he said. "I had that run early on, then I was hitting solid shot after solid shot and didn't really threaten to make a bogey today.

"You kind of forget how many under you are. I managed my game really well today and was putting good lines."

The field of 180 professionals and 180 amateurs play each of the three venues over the first three days before the leading 60 professionals and ties qualify for Sunday's final round on the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

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