LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Justin Rose posted 12 birdies on the Palm Course at Walt Disney World on Thursday to record his career low on the PGA Tour with an 12-under-par 60, good enough for a four-shot lead after the first round of the Funai Classic.
He had six straight birdies (Nos. 7-12), which is tied for the second-longest birdie streak of 2006. His previous low on the PGA Tour was a 63 (four times), most recently in the first round of the 2006 Deutsche Bank Championship.
He broke the Palm Course record of 61 held by Mark Lye (1984) and Carl Pettersson (2005). The 60 also matched the 2006 season's low, by Pat Perez (Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Palmer Course at PGA West) and Arron Oberholser (EDS Byron Nelson Championship, Cottonwood Valley).
LEADIN' LARGE: Justin Rose's four-stroke first-round lead matches the largest in Funai Classic history -- that of Bob Tway, who led four players by four in 1989 after a 61 at the Lake Buena Vista Course. Tway finished T42. It is also the largest on the PGA Tour since Jim Gallagher, Jr., led by five over David Frost, Corey Pavin and Scott Simpson at the 1993 Tour Championship after opening with a 8-under 63. Gallagher won the tournament over four players at 7-under.
GOTTA LOVE IT: Fresh off his victory at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, Davis Love III posted a 5-under 67 on the Palm Course on Thursday. Love has five top-10s in 14 starts at the Funai Classic, tied for fourth-most in tournament history.
EVEN ISN'T ENOUGH: Bart Bryant's streak of 24 consecutive rounds under par ended as he posted an even-par 72 on the Magnolia Course Thursday. Vijay Singh now has 27 consecutive rounds under par as he shot a 4-under 68 on the Magnolia Course. He has never posted a round above par at the Funai Classic.
THE EAGLES HAVE LANDED: John Huston posted three eagles Thursday on the Palm Course. He had totaled six eagles in 68 rounds in 2006 entering this week's action. He became the fifth player with three eagles in a single round, joining Arjun Atwal (Buick Invitational), Bubba Watson (Zurich Classic of New Orleans), Jason Gore (John Deere Classic) and Will MacKenzie (Reno-Tahoe Open). J.J. Henry had two eagles en route to a 7-under 65 on the Palm Course.
WALKING THE LINE: Tom Lehman is in danger of having his streak of 12 consecutive cuts at the Funai Classic snapped, as he posted a 1-over 73 on Thursday on the Magnolia Course.
SWEET MAGNOLIA: Orlando resident Charles Howell III posted the low round of the day on the Magnolia Course with a 7-under 65. Of the 17 players tied for 10th or better, only four recorded those scores on the Magnolia Course: Howell (T3), Bubba Dickerson (T8), Jerry Kelly (T8) and Ian Leggatt (T8).
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