With the golf world focused on the Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson duel at Doral, Boston golfer James Driscoll tried to steal the show Thursday by flirting with a 59 Thursday at the Puerto Rico Open.
On a roll. Starting on the 10th hole at Trump International Golf Club in Rio Grande, Driscoll opened with six birdies on his first nine -- including an incredible stretch of seven in a row as he made the turn. The birdie fest came to a halt when the 33-year-old journeyman carded a par on the fourth hole. He slugged right back with an eagle-3 on the par-5 fifth hole, but the 59 watch officially ended after consecutive bogeys on the par-4 seventh and par-3 eighth.
With golfers still on the course, Driscoll finished his opening round at 9-under 63 and took a 2-stroke lead over Will MacKenzie into Friday’s second-round play.
Runner-up. In three PGA Tour starts this year, Driscoll’s best finish was a share of 13th at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. His career low was a 62, which he posted in the fourth round of the 2009 Valero Texas Open, on his way to a second-place finish. His only other runner-up close came at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2005, when Driscoll lost to fellow New Englander Tim Petrovic in a sudden-death playoff.
Speaking of Tiger, read how his extreme game makeover is sapping his on-course confidence.
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