Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407080081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Lohr, a 10-year PGA Tour regular with one victory, offset a three-putt bogey with 11 birdies at Kingsmill Golf Club.
``Just a great round,'' Lohr said. ``I've never made 11 birdies in a round before.''
``I don't think I'd even know how to pencil in a 61,'' said Nike Tour regular John Wilson, whose 64 left him in second place.
The only tour scores better than Thursday's 61 were the 59s of Al Geiberger at Memphis in 1977 and Chip Beck at Las Vegas in 1991 and eight rounds of 60, the latest by David Frost at Tucson in 1990.
Lohr, Wilson and Scott Hoch, who was third with a 65, played in the morning on Kingsmill's 6,797-yard layout. In the afternoon, the temperatures and humidity rose to steamy levels, and play was interrupted for nearly three hours by a thunderstorm that left standing water on many parts of the course.
``It was a big bonus playing early,'' Wilson said. ``You know things are going to get tougher as the day goes along.''
Indeed, nobody in the afternoon pairings could mount a serious assault on Lohr's number. The best effort came from Glen Day, who was 5-under through 15 holes when play was suspended because of the storm.
Almost half the field had as many as nine holes left when play resumed at 7 p.m.
Lohr's score was one stroke lower than the previous best round of his career. He opened with a 10-under 62 on the way to his victory at the 1988 Walt Disney World Classic.
His round also was one shot better than the previous Kingsmill record, set by Mike Sullivan in 1990 and matched in 1991 by Ian Baker-Finch, Brian Claar and Kenny Knox and in 1993 by Dillard Pruitt.
None of those five went on to win this tournament, and Lohr isn't about to predict that his course-record effort will translate into a victory in the $1.1 million event.
``I don't think I'll have any expectations,'' he said. ``Hopefully, I'll just shoot as low as I can and add it on to this.''
Lohr had shown no indication a 61 was on his horizon. He hadn't broken 67 all season, hasn't finished in the Top 10 more than once this year and missed the cut in three of his previous five tournaments.
But Lohr, who was in the first group off the first tee Thursday morning, began his round by rolling in an 18-foot birdie putt. By the time his round was over, he had twice put together strings of three consecutive birdies and he had a card featuring eight 3s and two 2s.
``I built some momentum with my putter,'' said Lohr, who had one score higher than a 4. That came on the 16th, a 427-yard dogleg right where his approach left him with a 54-foot birdie putt. The putt broke severely as it approached the hole, leaving him with a 6-footer for par. He missed.
Undaunted, Lohr responded with birdies on the last two holes.
Hoch knows what it's like to post a gawdy number early in a tournament. After shooting a 62 in the second round of the Bob Hope Classic in February, he followed it with a 70 but held on.
by CNB