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Allen Leads Fry's Electronics Open

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The Associated Press

Published: October 19, 2007

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Scottsdale resident Michael Allen brought several dozen friends to Grayhawk Golf Club.

He gave his hometown gallery plenty to cheer about, matching his career-low round with a 7-under 63 to take the first-round lead in the Fry's Electronics Open on Thursday.

Nick Watney, Rich Beem and Frank Lickliter II were two strokes back, with Lickliter posting the day's only bogey-free round.

'It's nice just to have friends around out there,' said Allen, who lives about 10 minutes from the course. 'I had 20, 30, 40 friends out there yelling, and that's always really nice. You don't get that very often. So when you get things going, it's nice to have some fun.'

It wasn't as much fun for Grayhawk member Phil Mickelson, No. 2 on this year's money list and the biggest name in the tournament. Mickelson hit three balls into the desert and wound up at 1-over 71, eight strokes behind Allen.

'I felt like I played better than I scored,' Mickelson said. 'I didn't drive it terribly, but two or three loose swings cost me.'

Mickelson attracted the biggest flock of followers on a sunny, 81-degree day.

The first day of the new tournament had a more intimate feel than Scottsdale's other PGA Tour event, the FBR Open, which has become a four-day corporate party just down the road at the TPC Scottsdale. There were open seats in the greenside bleachers and plenty of room to roam along the fairways.

Unlike some Fall Series events, this one drew a strong 132-player field, including Aaron Baddeley, Tom Lehman, John Daly, David Duval, Justin Leonard, Steve Elkington and Mark Calcavecchia.

The winner of the $5 million event will get $900,000.

The 48-year-old Allen has never won in 292 tour events. He matched his career-best finish as a runner-up in the Turning Stone Resort Championship last month.

Allen's 63 overshadowed the day's most interesting round, turned in by Watney.

Watney made a career-best 11 birdies.

He also posted an 8 on the par-4 seventh hole.

PGA EUROPEAN: At Vilamoura, Portugal, Martin Kaymer shot an 11-under 61, equaling the lowest round on the European Tour this season, and took a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Portugal Masters.

Daniel Vancsik of Argentina and Martin Erlandsson of Sweden each shot 64.

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