Charlie Wi Leads After Round 1 of Zurich New Orleans

It just might be Korean Charlie Wi’s turn to breakthrough and win a PGA TOUR event. We all know K.J. Choi the first Korean to earn a PGA TOUR card and win on the world’s foremost tour.

A seven-time winner his feat was duplicated by Y.E. Yang who won the Honda Classic earlier this year at PGA National.

Now maybe it is Wi’s week after a first round 66 at the Pete Dye designed TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana a stone’s throw from the French Quarter in New Orleans.

With nine international victories and some PGA TOUR experience under his belt exudes confidence that one day soon he will breakthrough for his first win in America.

“It's my fourth year out here. Knowing the golf courses and being on top of the leader board several times, I don't get that excited anymore like I used to. I'm able to play my game and not really look at the leader board. I think that's really helped.”

Wi was close to victory at the Transitions earlier in the year leading on back nine on Sunday afternoon but was unable to get the job done. Despite a 68-69 weekend on the difficult Copperhead Course at Innisbrook he finished T4.

“Knowing that you can win and doing it is two different things. So it's really important to make sure that you close the deal when you get a chance.” Maybe the Zurich is Wi’s second chance this year.

The 37-year old professional golfer is a Korean citizen and a green card holder of the U.S. and a hopeful member of the International Team in the upcoming Presidents Cup this October at Harding Park in San Francisco.

He took advantage of an early morning tee time on Thursday where the course was still moist from humidity and dew and the wind was down. On Friday, he will be challenged by a drier, firmer and faster golf course with gusty winds.

In second place with 67s were:

• Charles Warren, a Clemson graduate who finished 130th on the Money List last year whose best finish this year is a T11 at the Buick Invitational;
• Eric Axley, the 2006 Valero Texas Open Champion, who finished 116th on the Money List last year whose highest finish in 11 events this year is a T44;
• Bellerive’s own Jay Williamson who came through Q-School last fall and has not won a PGA TOUR event in 331 career starts;
• John Merrick, a Long Beach, Calif., native having a great year with a second at the 50th Bob Hope Desert Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer and a T6 at the Masters;
• Nathan Green as Aussie who started off well with a T12 in the SONY Open but has not played well since then; and
• Parker McLachlin the Hawaiian golfer who won The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open last year and whose father coached President Obama on his high school basketball team.

Another story line this week is the defending champion and 2008 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Andres Romero who did not play well in the first round and carded a 1-over par 73.

“This year I've been practicing with my (teacher) and the more I practice with him the worst results I get. Confidence is, I think, the most important thing in my game. When I have confidence in my game, I play good, and I don't have problems with my swing.”

Louisiana native and 2001 PGA and Zurich Champion David Toms lead a group of eleven players who shot 68 and are two strokes behind Wi. Toms who was hurt last year and didn’t even play in the Zurich event is on the mend.

“I had a couple of injuries throughout the year, didn't play as much and a lot of times when I did play, I wasn't necessarily physically up to the challenge. So that carries over to losing your confidence.

"Losing motivation to be out there. As big as the fields are these days, if you're not there mentally and physically, people will just pass you by. I think that's what I went through last year.”

With three Top 10s so far this year and being in comfortable surroundings Toms is feeling up to the challenge this week.

“I haven't played this course particularly well in the past, and I needed to get off to a good start, and that's what today was. Any time I can get on Bermuda grass and sweat a little bit, I'm much happier.”

Kenny Perry is back from his heartbreaking T2 finish and loss to Angel Cabrera in the Masters playoff shot 69 and leads a pack of twelve golfers that shot 69 and are three strokes behind Wi.

Perry knows the lay of the land and the Thursday-Friday morning-afternoon flip flop.

“All the good scores are shot this morning. Every number posted was this morning. You didn't see any good scores in the afternoon, which shows how difficult the golf course played this afternoon. Hopefully, it reverses tomorrow, and we have a good shot at getting at this golf course in the morning.”

He did admit to letting thoughts of the Masters disappointment enter his mind. “I did lose focus a little bit and kind of thinking a lot about two weeks ago and what was going on.
But I mainly got tired. I mainly got tired mentally, which got me tired physically.”

As in the Ryder Cup victory at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky Perry puts things into perspective, stays grounded and is clearly beloved by all golf fans in his defeat at the Masters as well. “It was a good thing. I loved being in that situation.

I actually felt this year I was ready to handle the situation. In the past I just felt like I wasn't prepared. (I) went in there very prepared. My goal was to win.”

“A lot of emotions, lot of tears shed, lot of smiles, lot of celebration. I received almost over 600 emails. I received hundreds of cards and letters. People who genuinely cared.

"The letters all started out, I've never written a letter like this, but I just felt compelled to write to you. It was the outpouring of love and support from everybody that was really more emotional to me than anything.”

Danny Lee, the 2008 US Amateur Champion, missed the cut at the Masters as an amateur and is playing in his first event as a professional shot a 4-over par 76.

“This year I had lots of double and triple (bogeys) and every time I did I just wanted to attack my putts and get one on the golf course. I can't do that (as a professional). So many people are watching me.

"I'm trying to control that anger. I wasn't really angry at all today. I was still disappointed about how I played.”

Lee went on to share his thoughts about turning professional.

“Being an amateur and playing with all the professional guys. I think I'm on the lower level, and they're professionals. But now I'm a professional, so I've got pretty much same level as they are.”

Though first round leader Charlie Wi cautioned the fellow Korean born Lee about the realities of life on the PGA TOUR:

At the same time, being an amateur in professional ranks it's so different. I know he's won Johnny Walker this year, but now he's actually has to make money. When you don't have to worry about money, it's a lot easier than when you start worrying about money.”

Where does Danny Lee go from here tomorrow? “I’m going to try to figure it out.”

Friday is cut day. The large field of 152 golfers third largest on tour this year behind the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am and the Buick Invitational will be cut to the low 70 golfers and ties.

Let’s see how the scores add up after each golfer has a relatively benign round in the morning and a difficult one in the afternoon.

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering for the tournaments and working part time for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel. He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to [e-mail]