THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 6, 1995 TAG: 9510060626
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Carl Paulson, an obscure rookie from Virginia Beach whose top finish this year is 20th place, shot the best round of his career Thursday, a 10-under-par 62 for a two-stroke lead on the opening day of the $1.2 million Walt Disney Classic.
He surged through the back nine of the Palm course, running off five straight birdies before closing with a par on No. 18.
``By far my best round ever,'' Paulson said. ``I'm really excited by this. I'm one of these guys who waits until his back is against the wall before I play well.''
Keith Fergus and Craig Parry were at 64, with Jay Delsing, Bob Tway, Mike Heinen and Steve Lowery at 65.
Paulson, who played at Cox High School and the University of South Carolina, is limping into the home stretch of the PGA season, having made just eight of 18 cuts. His best finish was a tie for 20th in last month's Quad City Classic. Next best is a tie for 35th.
The 24-year-old rookie has earned $31,224 this year - 223rd on the money list. He wasn't even in the 132-player field when the week began, arriving as the third alternate.
But Thursday, Paulson fashioned a round of nine birdies, one eagle and one bogey.
He started with two birdies over his first three holes, but said he felt he hadn't hit stride. That changed with an eagle on the par-5 seventh, and Paulson stormed to the top of the leaderboard by playing his final 12 holes at 9-under.
``I just wasn't feeling comfortable early and made a little adjustment and it really started to click,'' he said. ``My irons really came through in the end. I was knocking the pins down.''
The Disney Classic is played on three different courses - the Magnolia, Palms and Lake Buena Vista - with the cut coming after 54 holes. For Sunday's final round, all golfers return to the Magnolia.
Fergus, the University of Houston golf coach from 1988-94 before rejoining the tour last year, posted his 64 on the Palm course, while Parry earned his 64 at Lake Buena Vista.
``I'd been playing well for quite a long time now, but not getting any breaks,'' said Parry, who hasn't had a top-25 finish in three months. ``No matter how well I played, it seemed I'd come in 1- or 2-under. I've just been hoping that things would eventually even out.''
Parry got his wish in a bogey-free, eight-birdie round bolstered by a weather-related assist. His tee shot on the par-5 fifth hole came to rest at the base of a tree, leaving him almost no room for a backswing.
But when Parry took his stance, water from the heavy rains of Hurricane Opal submerged his shoes. He was granted a free drop due, and the closest spot of relief gave him a full swing, which he hit short of the green. Then he chipped to 15 feet and made his birdie putt. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Carl Paulson
by CNB