GREENVILLE, S.C.
— and Michael Clark II fired 9-under-par scores Thursday to share the first-round lead of the BMW Charity Pro-Am, an event that features amateurs and celebrities teaming up with Nationwide Tour pros in a best-ball format over four days. Anderson posted a course-record 63 at Carolina Country Club, while Clark’s course-record 9-under was a 62 at the Thornblade Club, the host course in a rotation that also includes Bright’s Creek Country Club in Mill Spring, N.C. Thursday’s scoring conditions were nearly perfect at the three courses, resulting in 30 players shooting scores of 5-under or better, 107 players finishing below par and 132 pros in the field of 168 winding up at par-or-better. Next in line behind the co-leaders are two players at 8-under — (63/Thornblade Club) and Dustin Bray (64/Carolina CC). “When I finished, the guy in the scoring tent said I shot 62 and I thought ‘Wait a minute, I had 63,'” said Clark. “I didn’t realize this course was a par-71. I hit it where I was looking and it was nice to make some putts.” Clark was only 2-under through eight holes before the putts started dropping for him. “It’s been a long time since I played well,” he said. “I’ve probably had five or six rounds this year where I could have shot a score like that but I couldn’t get the ball in the hole.”
It all looked easy for the 40-year old Georgia resident, whose career-best round was a 10-under 62 in the third round of the 1999 Dayton Open. His round included a pair of 20-foot birdie putts and a chip-in for par on a par-5.