Thu Feb 14 04:57:14 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Trio on top in New Zealand

---

Christchurch, New Zealand (Sports Network) - Darron Stiles, David Hearn and Matt Bettencourt each fired rounds of six-under-par 66 on Thursday to share the opening-round lead of the New Zealand PGA Championship.

D.A. Points, who tied for 14th last week on the PGA Tour at Pebble Beach, Dave Schultz and Rick Price share fourth place at five-under 67 at Clearwater Resort.

The trio of leaders played in the afternoon wave with much higher winds and more difficult scoring conditions.

Stiles played brilliantly on the front nine Thursday with five birdies. He reached seven-under par for the championship with birdies at 11 and 12, but trouble loomed.

At the 13th, Stiles drove into the rough and made a mess of the hole. He missed a five-footer for bogey and fell out of the lead thanks to the double- bogey.

"It's never a fun hole especially when the breeze is blowing coming in from the left," said Stiles of the 13th. "For me that's a tough wind anyway with the driver."

Stiles rebounded with a birdie at the 14th and closed with four pars to grab his piece of the first-round lead.

Hearn began on the back nine Thursday and parred his first two holes. He rattled off four consecutive birdies from the 12th to make the turn at four- under 32.

His first birdie on his second nine came at the par-five second, then he waited until the par-three ninth to collect his final birdie. That two got Hearn into the clubhouse at minus-six.

Bettencourt was on a major roll due in part to three front-nine birdies. He eagled the par-five 10th and added birdies at 12 and 14 to reach seven-under par.

A double-bogey at the par-four 17th dropped Bettencourt completely out of first place. A birdie at the par-four closing hole brought Bettencourt into a tie atop the leaderboard.

Hunter Haas, Ashley Hall, David McKenzie, Kris Blanks, Doug Holloway and Garth Mulroy are knotted in seventh place at four-under-par 68.