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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Korean rookie puts Tiger's 64 to shame with sweet 62

Many fans mistaking Noh for Kevin Na

By: Doug Ferguson

Posted: 09/1/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Tiger Woods ripped off six straight birdies en route to an opening-round 64. (STEW MILNE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

NORTON, Mass. -- Tiger Woods had his lowest opening round in three years Friday in the Deutsche Bank Championship. It still wasn't enough to be low man in Sean Foley's coaching stable.

Seung-yul Noh, a rising star from South Korea in his first season on the PGA Tour, ran off four straight birdies early in his round and closed with back-to-back birdies on the TPC Boston for a 9-under 62.

That gave him a one-shot lead over Chris Kirk, whose 23 putts included an eagle on the new 18th hole.

Woods wasn't too shabby. He stirred up a big gallery on a glorious summer day in New England with six straight birdies, which featured four putts of at least 12 feet and flop shot executed so perfectly that it cleared a steep bunker and landed in an area of the green no larger than a hula hoop. His lone bogey on the final hole gave him a 7-under 64, putting him in a three-way tie for third with Jeff Overton and Ryan Moore.

The average score was just under 70 on a perfect day for scoring, except for the deceptive wind that swirled through the trees.

Rory McIlroy struggled off the tee, though he judged one of the lies in the rough beautifully on the ninth hole, a 7-iron into tap-in range that led to a 65.

Noh stole the show, even if hardly anyone was paying attention or was not really sure who he was.

"Some people say Kevin Na, like, 'Go Kevin,' " Noh said.

The 21-year-old from South Korea won his first Asian Tour title at age 17, and he chose to come over to America this year to ease his travel. He made it through Q-school in December, and on Friday turned in his strongest PGA Tour round to date.

"Everything good today," Noh said.

He went to work with Foley in May, mentioning the roster of clients as one of his reasons -- Woods, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose.

"He's a good kid," Mahan said after a much-needed 68. "If Foley says, 'Do this 1,000 times,' he'll go home and do it 1,000 times."

The start was more meaningful for Overton, whose game has practically disappeared since he played on the Ryder Cup team two years ago. He is No. 83 in the FedEx Cup standings, and only the top 70 advance next week to the third playoff event at Crooked Stick in Indiana -- his home state.

"I'm constantly getting a lot of great text messages and people say, 'Hey, we're really excited to see you at Crooked Stick,' just the whole Hoosier nation," Overton said. "It's just going to be fun if I can get into the event."

He had his own birdie streak, only on the opposite end of the course from Woods. Overton made five straight birdies through the 16th hole, and then added one more birdie on the 18th hole for a 64 that put him atop the leaderboard with Woods from the morning session.

Woods played with Barclays winner Nick Watney and Brandt Snedeker, two players who are trying to make enough of an impression on Davis Love III to be selected as Ryder Cup captain's picks on Tuesday. Snedeker scrambled his way to a respectable 69. Watney, who has never finished higher than 33rd on the TPC Boston, never looked comfortable in his round of 72.

Dustin Johnson, another candidate to get one of the four Ryder Cup selections, opened with a 67.

Rickie Fowler overcame a rugged start to salvage a 71.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 1, 2012 C5

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