Garrett Willis birdie run gives him first-round lead heritage

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP)-Garrett Willis (FSY) could not give up "old faithful," regardless of how many exciting, new belly ban BlackBerry at this time he tested out this week. By John David Mercer, us Presswire

Garrett Willis circuitry up to the Greens in the first round of the Heritage Classic at Harbour town Golf Links 11 on Thursday in Hilton Head, S.C. Iceland

By John David Mercer, us Presswire

Garrett Willis circuitry up to the Greens in the first round of the Heritage Classic at Harbour town Golf Links 11 on Thursday in Hilton Head, S.C. Iceland

Willis in The Heritage seeks answers to his poor putting and had planned to leave his longtime, Scotty Cameron model. He walked to the area Thursday morning, but Willis just couldn't go through with it and asked her caddie to "go back to my car and get" old faithful. ' "Good as he did. Willis had a run of six straight birdies on the first nine en route to a 7-under-par 64 and a one-shot lead in the suspended first round of The heritage. "Of course, very excited about this well, and have a chance to make the cut for a change, "Willis said.He had a one-stroke edge on Arjun Singh Atwal (FSY), Matt Bettencourt (FSY), Chad Campbell (FSY) and Tim Herron (FSY) and was two shots in Mark Wilson (FSY), Camilo Villegas (FSY) and 2009 heritage winner Brian Gay (FSY).Luke Donald (FSY), nr. 3 in the world, led a group at 67 in a slower by a rain delay of 2 hours, 16 minutes. Because of the delay could 18 players will not finish before dark.Donald would move to no. 1 with a victory.That may be a tall order for Willis ' maintains introduce touch he showed in the first round.Willis's only PGA Tour victory came at the Touchstone Energy Tucson Open in 2001 also his first start on the PGA Tour. It has been a struggle for Willis to keep his career pro will sometimes. He fell to the 228th in the PGA Tour money list in 2005 and regained playing privileges in 2009 with a twelfth place in the Nationwide Tour money list, they are problems emerged this season as Willis has made two cuts in eight tournaments, shooting 78-78 last week for an early exit in the Texas Open. He is the 177th on the tour include rankings and became tired give away lines on the green. "We can not do them all. I am fully aware of it, "he said. -But for some reason makes some of the guys in the week and the week off.Willis was on full searches a winning replacement putter this week. He brought with him four ban BlackBerry at this time, had three more in the port city and was the father of the vessel in three more. Willis was ready to join the belly putter he used in Tuesday's practice round and in warmups before their start time. Suddenly, Willis ' solve disappeared and the "old faithful" were back. "I cannot pull the trigger, "he said.Willis was not so confident in his last-second choice after missing a simple 12-footer for birdie on the first hole. His game — and attitude – changed for good on the next hole when Willis took an 8-foot birdie shove to start his run. "I said, ' Wow, maybe I can make one putt", "remembered Willis. Willis a-putted the next five holes for birdies, to move forward. Willis ' approach shots do not hurt either-all of his birdie putts were inside 15 feet. After bogeys on the ninth and 11th holes dropped him back, prob Willis up thanks to his putter with birdies on the 15th and 16th holes, finally a tricky 15-footer. "I made putts today that I usually don't do, "he said.Willis had broken 70 just four times in 12 previous rounds on Hilton Head. His low round was a 68 2001, Willis ' first time playing the Harbour Town, Donald, who won the Match Play Championship in February, is the highest ranked player in the field. He did much to damage his chance for no. 1, Rally from a sluggish start with three birdies over his final six holes. "Many people say "No. 1, Donald said. "So it is difficult to bring into your brain. But it would be cool.Defending champion Jim Furyk (FSY) and reigning US Open champion Graeme McDowell (FSY), fifth in the world, was a pack at 68. Ernie Els (FSY), 15 in the rankings, had a difficult start on a course he traditionally plays with seven top-10s in 11 matches. Els switched to a belly putter for the first round and struggled to a 75. Els also incurred a two-stroke penalty, his last hole, the eighth nex, to test the play surface of raking a bunker in his footsteps before his shot.All but one of the top eight finishers teed in the afternoon when the storm blew through the port city and delayed round. Bill Haas (FSY) looked as if he can hunt down Willis with a tap-in birdie on no. 5 when the game resumed move a shot of the lead. But Haas followed with two bogeys and a Triple bogey to fall back.In all seven of the world's teed top 20 players in what could be the final legacy. The tournament, a stand that the PGA Tour since 1969, finding a title sponsor, to which both the tour and event organizers called essential to keep the spring tradition of golf.DIVOTS: John Daly (FSY) caused an early morning pipe with three birdies in his first six holes to take the lead. Bogeys at the seventh and ninth holes dropped him back. He finished with a 70. ... Brian Davis (FSY) returned to the port city with a 68. Davis called a two-shot penalty on himself in last year's playoffs with Furyk as he took a loose reed with his takeaway. ... Matt Bettencourt 65 came just days after he totaled his car in a highway wreck on the trip from his home in Upstate South Carolina. Bettencourt said he hit a peak summer camp which fell outside the car in front of I-26 and he had no choice but to stretch for impact. He and his wife, Kim, would not harm.