ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. - Bud Cauley has the same good vibes at Sea Island, even if the stakes are different this time.
The McGladrey Classic is where Cauley did well enough to secure his PGA Tour card, joining an elite list of players who went from college to a full tour card without going to Q-school. Now he's after his first win, and Cauley took a big step Thursday by overpowering the course for an 8-under 62.
It was his best score on the tour, and it gave him a share of the lead with Marco Dawson.
Winning is about all that's left for Cauley, the 22-year-old who left Alabama after his junior season. He already has made over $1.7 million this year, and has moved up to No. 55 in the world.
"Obviously, I've thought about winning every tournament I've teed up in this year," Cauley said. "It's been a long year, and although I've played a lot this year, I haven't won. It's still a goal of mine, but I'm not thinking about that while I'm out there, or putting any more pressure on myself this week. The season is kind of wining down. It would be great to win here."
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Dawson is in a more desperate position.
The McGladrey Classic is the penultimate PGA Tour event on the schedule that counts toward the money list, and Dawson is at No. 216 with only $62,026 in 20 tournaments. The top 125 earn full cards for next year, so Dawson likely has to win to avoid a return to Q-school. His year has gone so badly that Dawson doesn't even look at the money list.
Two guys on the bubble - Boo Weekley (No. 121) and Rod Pampling (No. 124) joined Greg Owen at 64. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III was in a group at 65 that included Sea Island neighbor Zach Johnson, David Toms and Camilo Villegas.
Jim Furyk shot 66 in his first event since the Ryder Cup.
Dawson had a chance to mess up even a great day.
He twice had to take penalty strokes after errant tee shots on his last six holes and wound up losing only one shot. He took his lone bogey on the fourth hole, and then his tee shot on the par-5 seventh hit a tree and went into the water. Dawson took his drop, played 100 yards short of the green, hit wedge to 25 feet and holed the putt for par.
European Tour
PERTH, Australia - Spain's Alejandro Canizares and New Zealand's Michael Hendry each shot 7-under 65 on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Perth International.
Canizares had seven birdies in a bogey-free round at Lake Karrinyup, and Hendry put together five birdies on his second nine. Argentina's Emiliano Grillo was a stroke back and Englishmen Paul Casey and Andrew Johnson shot 67 in the event sanctioned by the European Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia.
South Africa's Charl Schwartzel and American Jason Dufner were tied for 29th at 71.
Canizares birdied on the par-3 eighth hole and added three on the back nine.
