Robert Allenby has contended at the Honda Classic each of the last two years, so it’s no surprise for him to be atop the leaderboard at PGA National
By the time darkness suspended play, six players — Charlie Wi, Jeff Overton, Angel Cabrera, Stewart Cink, Will MacKenzie and Sergio Garcia — all were one shot behind Allenby.
A foursome of players, including Chris Riley, shot 68s to be two off Allenby’s lead.
And then there was Mathias Gronberg, who endured whatever the opposite of a feel-good story is.
Gronberg was 1 over through six holes, a fairly nondescript beginning. The last 12 holes, well, they were ones that he’ll likely never forget.
Put it this way: He didn’t even manage to play bogey golf.
Gronberg had three triple bogeys in a four-hole span on the back side, became the first player to shoot 50 over nine holes since Phil Tataurangi at Greensboro nine years ago — excluding Billy Casper, whose 106 in the first round at the 2005 Masters officially went into the books as a withdrawal because he didn’t turn in the card.
Defending champion Ernie Els shot 73, as did Camilo Villegas, Davis Love III and Rocco Mediate, among others.
Leaderboard – Round 1:
1. Robert Allenby AUS 66 – 4
2. Angel Cabrera ARG 67 – 3
Charlie Wi KOR 67 – 3
Sergio Garcia ESP 67 – 3
Stewart Cink USA 67 – 3
Jeff Overton USA 67 – 3
Will MacKenzie USA 67 – 3
8. Chris Riley USA 68 – 2
Kent Jones USA 68 – 2
David Mathis USA 68 – 2
Y.E. Yang KOR 68 – 2
43, Alex Čejka GER 71 +1