COURSE REVIEWS

	Notah Begay

First Round Finally Concludes:
Begay Making a Name for Himself

By David R. Holland,
Senior Regional Staff Writer

  PEBBLE BEACH, CA -- Poppy Hills was the place to be on Friday as the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am was finished more than a day after it started.

Notah Begay, the Albuquerque, N.M. resident, missed a chance to take the lead on his final hole. He three-putted the par-5 and finished at 6-under-par to share the lead with David Duval and Vijay Singh, who also bogeyed his final hole of the day. All three were playing the softer Poppy Hills course, that was also sheltered from the strong winds that were still whipping the flags at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Top score on Friday at Pebble Beach was recorded by Lee Janzen who managed a 4-under-par 68 after letting everyone know on Thursday he wasn’t a bit happy about the rain and wind this time of the year on the Monterey Peninsula.

Tiger Woods, seeking his sixth straight PGA Tour win, shot a 4-under-par 68 also at Poppy Hills.

“When I arrived here I wasn’t exactly playing very well,” said Begay, whose arrest for DWI recently has had him explaining everywhere he goes. “With all my personal problems it has been hard getting back on track. But today I realized early I could have a good day. I hit two wayward shots in the trees and had great alleys back toward the greens.”

• Preview: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am • Wednesday's Pebble Beach Coverage • Past PGA Tour tournament coverage

Then on No. 6 Begay stroked a 6 iron 168 yards at the par-3 hole. It hit over the flag and backed in to the hole for his fourth career hole-in-one. He had another eagle on the day for his stellar performance.

For Begay, who only six years ago served as a caddy in this tournament, a victory would be sweet, since he also played his collegiate golf at Stanford. Interestingly, Begay is a switch-hitter with the putter. He putts the ones that break right to left as a right-hander and goes lefty with the ones that break left to right.

Woods, who knocked the head off his driver with his tee shot on 16, finished strong with five birdies in eight holes. The loss of his driver, however, could have cost him a birdie on the final hole, a par 5.

"That was shocking," Woods said. "You don't expect that to happen. "

Duval could have also taken the outright lead with a 4-foot birdie putt on his final hole of the day, but missed for his 66.

	David Duval

“It was tough out there today, but you kind of gloat playing at Poppy Hills when you know the wind is brutal at Pebble Beach,” said Duval, ranked No. 2 in the world. “I really got a break. I had a tough shot to end the day on Thursday, but my partner warned me that the horn had sounded to suspend play. So today when I addressed that shot it was easier.”

"I wanted to end up at 3 or 4 under, so this puts me right in the ball game," said Woods.

The schedule is for the final three rounds to be played through Monday, but the PGA knows more storm systems are heading this way. So no one is real optimistic. Pebble has had only one 72-hole tournament since 1995.

"It's very frustrating knowing that chances of playing four rounds are not very good," Woods said.

Most everyone agreed -- you need to be leading this tournament after 54 holes -- because it could end right there.