THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407080758
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Long : 114 lines
One of Bob Lohr's pet peeves is the golfer who ends an impressive round by saying, Yeah, it was good. But it could have been better.
``It makes me sick to read that,'' Lohr said. ``Those guys start talking about the putt that lipped out and they forget about all the ones they made.''
After making 11 birdies, Lohr refused to talk of could-haves, should-haves and would-haves Thursday at the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic. Instead he talked about what was, a sizzling 10-under-par 61 that matched the heat index (112 degrees) for severity and broke the tournament's course record.
Still, it could have been a 60, or even a 59, if not for a three-putt bogey at the par-4 16th, where Lohr said he hit his only unacceptable shot of the day, a 4-iron from the fairway that came up 50-feet short of the pin, which was tucked in the back left corner of the green.
The setback, however, didn't break Lohr's rhythm as he came back at the next hole - the par-3 17th which was playing a shortish 149 yards - and almost holed an 8-iron, the ball bouncing six inches short of the hole and skipping across the lip of the cup, leaving Lohr with a tap-in for birdie.
After draining an 18-footer for birdie at the 18th, Lohr had the record in hand, as well as a three-shot lead over John Wilson and Glen Day.
Lohr's round ended long before a three-hour rain delay stranded 24 players on the course when darkness fell at 8:27. Those players will complete play this morning at 7:15 and the second round will begin at 7:45, 30 minutes later than previously scheduled. Justin Leonard and Steve Lamontagne, both at 4-under, were the low shooters still on the course.
Lohr's performance wiped from the A-B record books the names of Dillard Pruitt, Ian Baker-Finch, Brian Claar, Kenny Knox, Tom Byrum and Mike Sullivan, who had shared the 18-hole mark of 62.
What Lohr will now attempt is to do what none of those record-holders did: win the tournament.
It wouldn't be a new feeling for Lohr, who shot an opening 10-under 62 at Walt Disney in 1988 and posted his only PGA Tour victory.
Playing in the first group of the day, Lohr avoided much of the sweltering heat that has become a staple of the Anheuser-Busch.
``It was nice starting at 7:15,'' Lohr, 33, said. ``It was cooler, there was a breeze and we took advantage of it.''
The ``we'' referred to one of Lohr's playing partners, Ed Dougherty, who couldn't match Lohr shot-for-shot but nonetheless played well enough to shoot 66.
Nothing in Lohr's past performance chart indicated he'd tear up Kingsmill. In 17 previous tours of the River Course, he'd managed to break 70 just twice, although one of those rounds was a 65. In six previous appearances, he'd made the 36-hole cut just twice, with his best finish a tie for 45th in 1992.
``I haven't played well enough here to remember it,'' Lohr said. ``But I don't come here for my past performances. I come because I like the course.''
Wilson, making a second stab at the Tour after finishing 180th on the money list in 1991, made seven birdies of his own but could only marvel at Lohr's accomplishment.
``(Playing partner) Kirk Triplett told me not to get caught up looking at the board,'' Wilson said. ``I don't think I could pencil in 61.''
Lohr said he wouldn't be surprised by some other low rounds.
``The only thing a low score usually does is make a statement that there are low scores to be shot out there,'' Lohr said. ``When I see someone with a low morning round it means the pins are accessible and the greens are holding.''
Scott Hoch, who shot 65 to stand alone in third, employed that thought, saying: ``Bob inspired me a little bit coming in.''
But Hoch was on the course when Lohr was. Day, on the other hand, played in the afternoon and arrived at the course to find Lohr at 9-under through 15 holes.
Lohr pointed to two keys to his round, an extended break from play and a driver he used at every opportunity with quality accuracy.
``I took three weeks off (in June) and went to Key West with my family,'' said Lohr, who returned to play last week at the Western Open (tied for 31st). ``Breaks like that always help your attitude and concentration. Of course, it doesn't help your ball-striking or putting.''
From the looks of things, it didn't hurt Lohr's. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ROBIE RAY
Bob Lohr, right, had 11 birdies on his way to a tournament-record
10-under-par 61 and the lead in the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic.
Color photo
BILL TIERNAN
The leader got in before a three-hour rain delay that kept 24
players from finishing.
Graphic
SO, WHO IS BOB LOHR?
Bob Lohr, 33, has played the PGA Tour 10 seasons, with one win
and three $300,000 seasons to his credit.
The Cincinnati native, who now lives in Orlando, Fla., won in
Orlando in 1988, when he shot 25-under par in the Disney World
Oldsmobile Classic, then outlasted Chip Beck in a five-hole playoff.
Lohr, who was 54th on the Tour money list last season, lost to Jay
Haas in a '93 Texas Open playoff .
This year, Lohr is 72nd on the money list with earnings of
$162,551. He's straight, hitting 78.5 percent of fairways in '94 to
tie for eighth in Tour driving accuracy.
Lohr, an outstanding baseball pitcher as a youth, had to choose
between baseball and golf at Miami of Ohio. Judging by his 61 at
Kingsmill Thursday, he made a pretty good choice.
Photo
BILL TIERNAN/Staff
Bob Lohr watches one of his 11 birdies drop, this one at No. 15.
He also opened with a 10-under round in his only PGA Tour victory.
by CNB