VERONA – Weather and darkness is the order of the day. Six players were still on the course when play was suspended due to darkness at 6:30 PM. They’ll resume their first round at 7:30AM Friday. The second round will stay on schedule, planning to tee it up at 7:15AM Friday.

The weather was cold and had a consistent drizzle all day. Temperatures in the mid-40’s with winds 6-12 mph.  The PGA Tour is using preferred lies “through the green” for the first two rounds. The last time preferred lies “through the green” (as opposed to “closely mown fairway only”) were allowed on the PGA Tour was at the 2005 BellSouth Classic, which was also the last time it snowed during a tournament. Last year, they got hail here at Turning Stone.

All week long, eyes have been, and will be, on the former number-three player in the world, Adam Scott.He had never seen the Atunyote Golf Club’s course until Tuesday and then only played two holes because as he went out, the rain started to fall. Wednesday he played a practice round in a Pro-Am and knows that people here in upstate NY are turning out to see him one week before he is set to perform in the President’s Cup.

“That’s a very nice feeling, obviously,” he told me on Tuesday, after those two holes (10-11). “I’m just happy to have the opportunity to come here this year. It doesn’t always work out on my scheduling but it’s good to experience a new venue and hopefully a lot of people will come out and watch us all play.”

Scott shot 68, recorded seven birdies and a double bogey in the first round, hitting 14 of 18 greens and taking 28 putts. This represents the fourth time this season Scott has posted a first-round in the 60s. The others are the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, 68. He finished T64. The U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, 69. He finished T36. The Wyndham Championship, 66. He missed the cut.

Tim Petrovic and Leif Olson share the lead at 6-under 66. Matt Kuchar, John Senden and Vaughn Taylor are one stroke back at 5-under 67. Seven players completed the first round at 4-under 68. Olson has never held the lead/co-lead after any round on the PGA Tour.

Petrovic showed off his pink socks during his post-round interview. He wore them in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of Central New York is one of the tournament beneficiaries this year. Breast cancer survivors were admitted free on Thursday and everyone was encouraged to wear pink during the first round to bring awareness to the cause.

No rookie has won on Tour this year – something that hasn’t happened since 1998. Last year, rookies Dustin Johnson and Marc Turnesa both won during the Fall Series. Johnson, of course, won the Turning Stone Resort Championship. He is three strokes off the lead, sitting at three-under with Jonathan Byrd, Robert Garrigus, Charles Howell III, Fredrik Jacobson, Kent Jones, Martin Laird, Rod Pampling, D.A. Points, Justin Rose and Chris Stroud.
 
John Senden hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation in round one. Senden leads the tour in Greens In Regulation with a 70.54% average coming into the week. He is one of only three players in the field who played The Tour Championship last week. The others are Johnson and Marc Leishman.

17 of the 24 Australian members listed in the 2009 PGA TOUR Media Guide are at Turning Stone this week, along with Michael Sim (+5 thru 15) who is playing on a sponsor’s exemption. Sim is the ninth player in Nationwide Tour history to earn a Three-Win Promotion to the PGA TOUR after his victory at the “Christmas in October” Classic in Kansas City. He took four weeks off during the FedExCup Playoffs.

Australian Matt Jones, a Monday qualifier this week, posted a bogey-free 68 in the first round.

66: that’s the low round of the 2008 Turning Stone Resort Championship (-6) by Davis Love III in the third-round. 64: that’s the tournament 18-hole record (-8) shot by Jeff Maggert and Jarrod Lyle, both in round two of 2007. They are all here this week.

Kevin Stadler (68) opened the first round with a birdie and closed it with birdies at his last two holes. Stadler also holed a 117-yard pitch-shot for eagle at the par-5 eighth hole and posted his lone bogey at the 13th hole after driving into the water hazard right of the fairway.

The Kodak Challenge hole this week is the par-3 11th at Atunyote which played 201-yards in the first round. The competition celebrates beautiful holes and memorable moments on the PGA TOUR. Players must play at least 18 of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes throughout the season to compete for $1 million and the Kodak Challenge title. A player’s lowest score relative to par on his best 18 Kodak Challenge holes will be counted. Kodak Challenge leader Kevin Streelman, at 13-under, made par at the 11th hole in round one to maintain his lead.

A unique “Smile & Win” spotter promotion awards instant prizes to fans wearing Kodak lanyards throughout the course at the Turning Stone Resort Championship.  The free lanyards can be picked up at the Kodak Fan Photo Zone on hole #13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day of the tournament. Winners will be randomly spotted throughout the tournament. A variety of instant prizes will include Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Cameras, Turning Stone Resort merchandise and one lucky grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 Frys.com gift card.

No-bogeys: Matt Kuchar (67), John Senden (67), Vaughn Taylor (67), Ken Duke (68), Jimmy Walker (68), Matt Jones (68), Robert Garrigus (69), Casey Wittenberg (70), Brian Vranesh (71) and Ben Curtis (71) were all bogey-free on Thursday at Atunyote.

Brad Adamonis withdrew before the first round started. Mathew Goggin withdrew after a first-round 79. Tommy Armour III withdrew after nine holes of round one with a back injury. Jeff Klauk withdrew after a first round 79 with a foot injury.

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