McGladrey Classic 2012: Day 1 Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More
The views of the Seaside Course at Sea Island, Ga., makes it a great host to the McGladrey Classic, though the participating players are focused not on the view, but on winning.
Through one day of competition, it is apparent that it will take a superior effort to win.
Bud Cauley and Marco Dawson each shot a 62 on Thursday to have a share of the first-round lead.
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The 22-year-old Cauley had a near flawless round with eight birdies and zero bogeys on the day. He put an outstanding 93 percent of his drives on the fairway, making it easy for him to finish out holes.
He has never finished higher than third in a PGA event in his brief career, but this is the type of performance needed to earn his first win.
The co-leader, Dawson, is almost a complete opposite of the youngster. The experienced veteran turned pro five years before Cauley was born. He has not had a good season, but this tournament could be a chance to turn things around and end on a good note.
On Day 1, he used his putting ability to keep ahead of the field. He only needed 23 putts to finish the round, the fewest of anyone in the competition. This will be tough to replicate, but he proved he knows the greens of this venue.
The leaders hold a two-stroke lead over Boo Weekley, Rod Pampling and Greg Owen. Close behind them is a group of experienced golfers that should be in the mix by Sunday. This includes Zach Johnson, Camilo Villegas, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III and David Toms.
There are still three more rounds of competition in this tournament, leaving the door open for almost anyone to win. A couple of little-known golfers have made their marks already. Who knows which ones will take over by the end?
The only thing certain is that it whoever wins will have earned it with a tremendous score.
Leaderboard (via PGATour.com)
| T1 | Bud Cauley | -8 |
| T1 | Marco Dawson | -8 |
| T3 | Greg Owen | -6 |
| T3 | Boo Weekley | -6 |
| T3 | Rod Pampling | -6 |
| T6 | Davis Love III | -5 |
| T6 | Zach Johnson | -5 |
| T6 | David Toms | -5 |
| T6 | Danny Lee | -5 |
| T6 | Joe Durant | -5 |
| T6 | Michael Thompson | -5 |
| T6 | Brian Gay | -5 |
| T6 | Camilo Villegas | -5 |
| T6 | Martin Flores | -5 |
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