Lonard flirts with 59 at MCI

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Peter Lonard flirted with a 59 and finished with a two-stroke lead after Thursday's opening round of the MCI Heritage.

The 9-under 62 was one shot off the tournament record and brought some life to an event that doesn't have Masters champion Tiger Woods and his Big Four buddies.

Lonard was two strokes ahead of Thomas Levet, who birdied six of his last eight holes to shoot a 64. Darren Clarke was at 65 with Patrick Sheehan another stroke back.

Lonard, a 37-year-old Australian in his fourth season on tour, didn't look capable of a landmark round after opening with a bogey. But he made 11 birdies over the next 15 holes to take the lead and briefly flirt with golf's magic number.

He was 10 under after a birdie on No. 16 and put his tee shot on the difficult par-3 17th 15 feet from the pin. A birdie there would have let him go for 59 with a birdie on the famous closing lighthouse hole.

When Lonard walked onto the 17th tee, "I thought I've got to birdie the last two holes basically," he said. "Up until 17, I didn't really think about it at all."

Lonard came a foot short on the tricky downhill putt to make the birdie and failed to join Al Geiberger, Chip Beck and David Duval in the group with the only 59s on the PGA Tour.

The chase over, Lonard ended things with his second bogey on 18. Still, Lonard's lowest tour round ever tied Davis Love III for the best opening-day score at the Heritage. He came a stroke from David Frost's 11-year-old record of 61 at Harbour Town Golf Links.

As his birdies increased, Lonard tried to block the success out of his mind. The crowd and his own group wouldn't let him.

Lonard said the sign boy accompanying him told him as they walked to the 16th tee, "If that leaderboard is correct, Mr. Lonard, you are leading the tournament."

"Sssshhhh," Lonard answered. "I don't want to know."

Lonard couldn't keep his play a secret for long, especially with a gallery eager to cheer something.

Spectators rushed to fill in space along No. 17 as Lonard tried to go lower. When Lonard walked to his putt, the crowd clapped and cheered. "Let's go, Peter," one yelled and Lonard waved.

It was some welcome flash for a tournament that looked like a big snore without Woods, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson. Defending champion Stewart Cink, at No. 11 in the world, is the highest ranked player in the field.

LPGA: At Las Vegas, having survived a bit of an ordeal, Cristie Kerr seems to have emerged a stronger player.

Kerr blew a big lead late in the Takefuji Classic a year ago but tenaciously dueled Seol-An Jeon during a marathon playoff, finally winning with a routine par putt on the seventh playoff hole.

That victory was only the second on the LPGA Tour for Kerr, who added two more titles before the year ended.

"I showed myself a lot. I can be courageous, I can hit the shots under pressure, I can be there and I think found a new level in my game that week," said Kerr, back to defend her title in the 54-hole tournament beginning Thursday.