CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

By David Scott and Ron Green Jr.
dscott@charlotteobserver.com and rgreenjr@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Friday, Apr. 30, 2010

Today's weather

It will be a good bit warmer today (a high of 82) than Thursday with a few clouds. Saturday is shaping up to be a bit shaky, with thunderstorms in the forecast.

Chip shots

Paul Goydos had a fairly routine round going until he reached the eighth fairway Thursday during the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship. Then things turned spectacular for Goydos, who finished with a 4-under 68 and was tied for fourth with Billy Mayfair, Geoff Ogilvy, J.J. Henry, Andres Romero and Brad Faxon. After a 270-yard drive on the par-4 eighth, Goydos holed his second shot from 74 yards for an eagle. Goydos struck again on No.16, when he chipped in from 33 feet for a birdie.

"I like it when I don't have to putt," said Goydos.

Anthony Kim, who won Quail Hollow in 2008, birdied the first hole and is 8-under on that hole during his four starts (13 rounds). He has eight birdies and five pars. Kim ended up shooting an even-par 72 after starting 5-under after eight holes. Kim has just one over-par round at Quail Hollow, when he shot 78 during the third round last year.

Greg Kraft withdrew because of vertigo after playing nine holes.

Ogilvy played in one of the day's early groups (a 7:30a.m. tee time) and said the chilly, mild conditions made for good scoring. That was especially true on the back nine, where he birdied four of the final six holes, including the par-3 17th, which is protected on the front and left sides by a large lake. "I assume it's the hardest hole out here, traditionally," Ogilvy said. "Long iron to a green, that if you pitch it too far off it can go over the back really easy. Short is obviously water and left is water and right you can't get it up-and-down. Tough hole."

Goydos' round ended about noon.

"If you want to play 17 at any time, playing it 15 minutes ago was pretty nice," he said.

Charlotte's Johnson Wagner shot 1-over 73 after a slow start. Wagner had gotten to even par with birdies at Nos.15 and 17, but a bad tee shot at the 18th led to a finishing bogey.

"I feel decent about it," Wagner said. "I drove it pretty well and a couple of good up and downs. I'd liked to have gotten in at even or 1-under par but it was still a solid first round. I'm driving it really well which has me excited"...
Carolina Golf Club pro Jeff Peck shot a 15-over 87, and he will head into today's round in 154th place (ahead of only Parker McLachlin, he of the 12 on the seventh hole).

"I thought my score was a little higher than how I played," said Peck, who qualified by winning the Carolinas PGA Championship. "On top of being nervous, it was how I expected. It was a big deal. But I never got comfortable."

That said, Peck headed off to have drinks with his family and the several members of Carolina who came out to support him.

Here's how two other Charlotteans played: Mat Goggin shot a 1-over 73 and Brendon de Jonge came in with a 1-under 70.