SILVIS, Ill. - After four months of pretty lousy play on the PGA Tour, Paul Goydos managed to turn things around a bit.
He shot a 59. Out of nowhere.
"Today was a nuclear bomb," Goydos said. "I don't know where it came from. If I knew that, I wouldn't be able to touch it."
Perhaps just as amazing, Goydos held only a one-stroke lead Thursday after an incredible opening round at the John Deere Classic.
Defending champ Steve Stricker carded a 60, making for the two lowest scores ever in a single round at a PGA event.
With the par-71 TPC Deere Run course softened by three days of intermittent rain, golfers were expected to go low. But the fourth 59 in tour history, and then a 60 on the same day?
No one expected that.
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"You're 12 back before you even step on the first tee. That's tough to swallow," Stricker said. "That's why you've got to get into a little different thought process and get in your own little world and chip away."
Michael Letzig, Matt Jones, Aaron Baddeley and James Nitties all finished at 7-under 64. Jay Williamson, Daniel Chopra, Scott McCarron and Charley Hoffman had 65s.
All paled in comparison with Goydos' stunning 59.
He has missed (seven) almost has many cuts as he's made this year (10). He hasn't had a top-40 finish since early May. He led the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February by a stroke with five holes to play, only to tumble out of contention with a quadruple-bogey 9 on No. 14.
"I've been very good at playing poorly now for the last 10 tournaments or so," Goydos said.
USGA/LPGA Tour
OAKMONT, Pa. - Kelli Shean, a University of Arkansas golfer playing in only her second major professional tournament, shot a 1-under 70 to take the lead after the opening round of the U.S. Women's Open.
Christie Kerr, coming off her 12-shot win at the LPGA Championship, had a 1-over 72.
Shean and Inbee Park were joined at 70 by M.J. Hur and Amy Yang.
European Tour
LUSS, Scotland - Darren Clarke upstaged fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell on Thursday with a 6-under 65 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Scottish Open.
McDowell, returning to his European Tour roots for the first time since his win at the U.S. Open, shot a 71 at Loch Lomond.
McDowell birdied his final two holes to tie Phil Mickelson, who was making his first appearance in Europe since winning the Masters in April.
One shot behind Clarke were Graeme Storm, Edoardo Molinari and Damien McGrane.
John Daly, who won the British Open in 1995, was just two shots off the lead after a 67.
PGA TOUR's 59 LIST
• Al Geiberger, at Colonial Country Club, Memphis, Tenn., in the second round of the 1977 Memphis Classic (13 under).
• Chip Beck, at Sunrise Golf Club, Las Vegas, in the third round of 1991 Las Vegas Invitational (13 under).
• David Duval, at the Arnold Palmer Course at PGA West, La Quinta, Calif., in the final round of 1999 Bob Hope Invitational (13 under).
• Paul Goydos, at the TPC Deere Run course, Silvis, Ill., in first round of 2010 John Deere Classic (12 under).
