Tour Report: A well-rested Watson shares top spot (PGATOUR.com)

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Bubba Watson shot a 6-under 66 Thursday at TPC Louisiana.

How did Bubba Watson spend his time between the Masters and this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans? Doing about everything except play golf.

“I started playing golf the last three or four days with some buddies and my wife,” Watson said. “For the first week and a half just goofed around, jet skied, played on the lake. As much goofing around as possible.

“Then my wife is like ‘You need to start playing golf if you’re going to play again,’ and I was like, yeah, you’re right.”

So Watson played 18 holes each of the last four days before showing up in New Orleans, where he shot a 6-under 66 to earn a share of the lead with Matt Jones.

Though Watson tumbled to a tie for 38th with a final-round 78 at the Masters, he’s having a big year. Watson was a semi-finalist at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and earlier this year won the Farmers Insurance Open.

The long-hitting lefty showed little rust from his time off. Watson hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 greens. He also took 28 putts, making three of those from beyond 20 feet (click here to replay his round).

About the only thing he failed to do Thursday was birdie the par-5 18th, where he missed the green left with his second shot and the failing to get up-and-down for birdie before settling on par.

“The last thing I wanted to do was make a 6 on the last hole,” Watson said. “Once I saw where that shot was, I wanted to make a 5 and get out of there.”

He did and left with a share of the lead.

Watson, Jones lead at 6 under

On the par-5 18th, Bubba Watson managed just a par Thursday. That was about the only thing that didn’t go write for Watson.

The long-hitting left-hander made six birdies, an eagle and just two bogeys on his to a 6-under 66 that gives him a one-shot lead after the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Watson hasn’t been much of a factor his last three starts, but he was on target Thursday, hitting 15 grens in regulation and taking 28 putts.

And remember, he has a history of playing well in this even with a tie for fifth in 2007.

Meanwhile, Australian Matt Jones made a late push with birdies on each of his last two holes to tie for the lead with Watson at 6 under.

At one point, Jones made four straight birdies and he finished the day with eight. He also took just 25 putts and averaged 1.46 putts per green.

Watson and Jones lead a cluster of six players at 5 under, which includes David Duval.

Watch: Thursday highlights

Greenwood/Getty Images

Bubba Watson is seeking his second win of the season this week in Louisiana.

Bubba Watson: The PGA TOUR’s resident long bomber eagles the 575-yard par-5 11th. Click here

John Rollins: One way to make birdie on the par-4 12th? Chip in from 27 feet. Click here

Vaughn Taylor: Taylor sticks his approach shot on the par-5 18th to set up an easy birdie. Click here

Leaderboard getting crowded

It’s late in the opening round of the Zurich Classic and there’s no clear picture of atop the leaderboard with five players now tied for the top spot at 5 under after Bubba Watson bogeyed the par-3 14th.

John Rollins, meanwhile, just had a birdie putt on the 16th hole to get to 6 under, but his effort wasn’t close.

At the other end o the leaderboard? John Daly. He’s now 8 over through 17 holes with a bogey, triple bogey and double bogey over his last three holes.

Watson grabs sole possession of lead

That three-way tie at the top didn’t last long.

Bubba Watson bypassed them all when he smoked a drive at the par-5 11th 343 yards, then hit his approach from 239 to 32 feet, 3 inches. The putt, of course, went in for the eagle.

Watson, who won the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year, now stands 6 under. Joe Durant is finished with a 67 while Carl Pettersson and Vaughn Taylor are on their final nines at 5 under.

Three now tied at the top

Carl Pettersson has joined Vaughn Taylor and Joe Durant at the top of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans leaderboard.

Pettersson and Taylor have each completed 11 holes this afternoon; the former starting on the front and the latter on the back nine. Neither has made a bogey at TPC Louisiana.

Durant is safely in the clubhouse.

John Rollins and Bubba Watson are also making moves this afternoon. Both are 4 under, Rollins through 12 holes and Watson through 10.

Par-4 15th quite a challenge

The 15th hole continues to be the most difficult during the first round of the Zurich Classic. The 490-yard par 4 is playing .409 strokes over par midway through the afternoon wave.

“Today it was dead into the wind,” said Joe Durant, the clubhouse leader after posting a 67. “I hit a really good drive there and still had 225 which was playing almost 250. It was into the teeth of the wind. I hit a really good 5 wood to the back left corner of the green, made my two putt and got out of there.

“I knew 4 there was going to be a good score.”

David Toms certainly would have taken it.

“I couldn’t even reach it today,” he said. “And I said, does it count as not a green in regulation if you can’t reach the green?  I mean, come on.

“But I hit two of my best shots and didn’t get there, so that hole was brutal.”

And that was hardly the only challenge. Durant said the par-3 14th was playing dead into the wind, too.

“I didn’t have a club for that one,” he said. “I tried to hit a 3-iron and missed the green short but was fortunate to get up and down. 

“Those were probably the two hardest holes back to back today.”

Taylor leading afternoon wave

Vaughn Taylor is leading the afternoon portion of the draw at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

The Georgian, who has two PGA TOUR victories, both of which came in Reno, has birdied four of his first eight holes. Taylor, who is currently 4 under, is looking to end a six-year victory drought.

Carl Pettersson and Ben Crane are 3 under through eight and six holes, respectively. Crane also has hit five more fairways — which means another $500 for the St. Bernard Project that helps rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Beem me up: Disaster on No. 6

Rich Beem was wearing a microphone when he found trouble on No. 6.

Two weeks ago, Kevin Na was wearing a microphone as part of Golf Channel’s coverage of the Valero Texas Open when he made a 16 on the par-4 ninth at TPC San Antonio. fast forward to Thursday at TPC Louisiana, where it was Rich Beem’s turn as he made a triple-bogey 7 on the sixth hole. Click here to see the video.

Fowler finds his rhythm

Coming off a missed cut at Hilton Head, Rickie Fowler went back to the range, did some work and lo and behold finds himself in contention after an opening-round 2-under 70 Thursday at TPC Louisiana.

Fowler

Fowler didn’t waste any time putting birdies on the scorecard with three of them over his first four holes after starting on the back nine.

The 2010 Rookie of the Year hit a snag on the 15th hole, however, where he came up short with his approach shot into the wind and made bogey.

Fowler bounced back with a birdie on the fourth hole, but he faltered again with a bogey on No. 9.

“I hit a really good putt for par there, but a tough hole for the day,” Fowler said. “I walked away with a bogey. But I felt like I was swinging really good today, especially after last week.”

Fowler, of course, was referring to his 74-73 at The Heritage. Still, that was just his second missed cut of the year. In nine starts, Fowler has two top-10s.

Martin/Gety Images Bubba Watson shot a 6-under 66 Thursday at TPC Louisiana. How did Bubba Watson spend his time between the Masters and this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans? Doing about everything except play golf. “I started playing golf the last three or four days with some buddies and my wife,” Watson said. “For …