Campbell warms to Honda course

Friday, March 11, 2005 | 11:52 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Chad Campbell could think of better places to be early Thursday morning while he was unsuccessfully trying to warm up for the first round of the Honda Classic.

"It was freezing out there," Campbell said. "The wind was blowing, and it was cold. It was brutal."

Campbell wasn't feeling much better when he bogeyed his first hole (he started on Mirasol's No.10) and then, after two birdies, dropping a shot at his seventh to fall back to par in the windy, cold conditions. But on his eighth hole, the par-5 17th, he holed a sand wedge from 70 yards, and all of a sudden his game warmed up like the weather.

Campbell charged home with a 30 on the front nine -- matching Fred Couples' course record from a year ago -- for an 8-under 64 that left him with a two-shot lead over Brett Wetterich after the first round of the Honda Classic at Mirasol's Sunrise Course.

"The course is definitely playing tough, but you still have chances to score out there," Campbell said. "You just need to make the putts, and I was fortunate I was able to make those today."

Campbell led the morning draw of the field by five shots, which if it had stood up would have matched the largest lead in PGA tour history, accomplished by Gibby Gilbert at the 1973 World Open and matched by Jim Gallagher at the 1993 Tour Championship. But with conditions more favorable in the afternoon, Wetterich and Jesper Parnevik (67), made a run at Campbell.

"That's got to be one of the best rounds of the year," Parnevik, who won the 2001 Honda when it wash at TPC Heron Bay, said of Campbell's 64. "I'm pretty pleased with my 67."

Wetterich, who's best career finish on the PGA tour was an eighth in this event in 2002, said of Campbell's round, "He must have played pretty darn good."

"He is very, very talented and probably very underrated," said Davis Love III, who was paired with Campbell in last year's Ryder Cup. "When he gets on a roll, he plays very, very well. When he gets in a rhythm, he can make more birdies than anyone."

Els followed a 73 yesterday with a round that included five birdies and two bogeys to end the day 2-under par overall at the Doha Golf Club. Australia's Green holds a one-shot lead over Sweden's Pierre Fulke and Robert Karlsson.