Thu Apr 24 20:28:04 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Dickerson fires 62 to lead Henrico County Open

---

Glen Allen, VA (Sports Network) - Bubba Dickerson fired a 10-under-par 62 Thursday to grab a three-stroke lead after the opening round of the Henrico County Open.

The Dominion Club has seen several scoring records in the past. Ten years ago, Notah Begay III became the first Nationwide Tour player to shoot 59, while in 2004 Daniel Chopra piled up a winning score of 30-under par, which is a tour record.

Low scores were a little easier to come by on Thursday as lift, clean and place rules were in effect after early-week rain softened the course.

Roger Tambellini and Andrew Buckle share second place at minus-seven. Six players, including Chris Riley and Keoke Cotner, are one stroke back at six- under-par 66.

Dickerson had a streaky round, and his best streak opened his round.

At the first, Dickerson birdied the par-four first and came right back to birdie the second. He followed those birdies with another on the par-three third.

If that wasn't enough, Dickerson birdied the par-five fourth and the par-four fifth. His run ended with a birdie at six.

"I knew the start was there," said Dickerson. "It's the first round of a tournament so you never expect to start that way, but I hit a lot of good shots early and made a couple of putts."

After that impressive stretch, Dickerson parred four in a row from the seventh. His next hot streak started with a birdie on the 11th. Dickerson made it two straight as he birdied the par-five 12 and then moved to nine-under thanks to a birdie at 13.

"If 59 is there, you keep moving forward because you're moving for something better," Dickerson stated. "If you get to six-under early, then you think 'that's 66.' You're always trying to set better goals for yourself. If you set that higher goal, it keeps you moving forward rather than playing safe or slowing down or backing off."

Dickerson did stumbled to a bogey at the par-four 14th, but he erased that mistake with a birdie at 15. He capped his stellar round with a birdie on the par-five closing hole.

Riley and Cotner were joined at minus-six by Henrik Bjornstad, Brad Fritsch, Neal Lancaster and Dicky Pride. David Schultz, Peter Tomasulo and Cameron Percy are one stroke back at five-under-par 67.