Australian Geoff Ogilvy shot a four-under-par 67 in the opening round at the Deutsche Bank Championship today, but it paled in comparison to the sizzling performance by leader Mike Weir.
Canadian Weir used a hot putter to plunder 10 birdies for a course record-equalling 10-under-par 61 at the Boston TPC.
"It was one of the rare days with my putter I hadn't had in a while, so it was fun," Weir, who needed just 21 putts, said after earning a three-shot lead over Fiji's Vijay Singh and Americans John Merrick, Briny Baird and Heath Slocum.
The 2003 Masters champion had no great expectations of a great round, but made a confidence-boosting start with birdies at the first four holes and never looked back.
"There was no indication on the putting green when I was warming up that was going to tell me it was going to be like that," he said.
"It was just one of those days where I made a 15-footer on the first hole and then another one on the second hole. I built on that momentum and just kept doing the same things, keep the pedal down, because I knew the scores were pretty low today."
Ogilvy's 67 looked positively pedestrian by comparison, but he had no complaints, even if he left some money on the table.
"I probably shouldn't have had any worse," said the 2006 US Open champion. "I missed four or five (makeable putts). Four-under is fine. Another round like that in the morning and I'll be right in there."
Ogilvy said it was a pleasure to play a course that yielded plentiful birdies, after some of the tough tracks that have hosted the tour this year.
Asked what about the course made birdies so plentiful, he continued: "The par-fives are reachable (in two shots), there's a short par-four, the rough is playable, there's a bit of width off the tee and the greens roll good.
"Whenever the greens roll true, guys will make birdies. There are plenty of train wrecks out there, but plenty of birdies too. This is the most enjoyable course we've played in a long time."
Ogilvy heads the 12-strong Australian contingent, with Nick O'Hern and John Senden best of the rest on 69, one stroke better than Adam Scott, Stuart Appleby, Jason Day, Robert Allenby and Mathew Goggin.
"I'm very happy," said O'Hern, who had just 25 putts. "I didn't play that well but I kept my score going."
