Love, Leonard among leaders at Heritage

Posted: Thu Apr 17 7:06 PM

Hilton Head Island, SC (Sports Network) - Davis Love III, a five-time winner, Justin Leonard, the 2002 champion, and Lucas Glover are tied atop the leaderboard at five-under 66 after the first round of the Heritage.

Stewart Cink, who tied for third last week at the Masters, Charles Howell III and Camilo Villegas headline a large group tied for third place at minus-four at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Love, who missed a good chunk of last season after an ankle injury, flew out of the gate on Thursday with back-to-back birdies at the first two holes. He added birdies at five and seven to make himself an instant presence on the leaderboard.

Love cooled after his great front nine. He parred the first five holes on the back nine, but joined the lead at five-under with a birdie at the par-five 15th.

He had a decent look at birdie from inside 20 feet at the 16th, but failed to convert. Love saved a nice par at 17 from six feet, then parred the last for his piece of first.

Love had surgery in September after he tore tendons in his left ankle. He stepped in a hole and it cost Love quite a bit in terms of golf. Love missed the Masters last week, the first time he was not in a major championship since the 1990 U.S. Open.

Leonard broke into red figures for the first time Thursday at the par-five second. His second shot landed pin-high, but left of the putting surface. Leonard chipped to eight feet and converted the birdie putt.

The 1997 British Open champion dropped a shot on three when his ball picked up some mud. Leonard responded with back-to-back birdies from the fourth, including a short birdie putt at five.

At the eighth, Leonard hit a five-iron to 12 feet to set up birdie. Two holes later, Leonard drove into the water. He hit a five-iron short of the green, then chipped in to save the unlikely par.

"That was probably the biggest shot of the day, just able to make par there," said Leonard. "I had a nice easy chip shot, but still you don't count on chipping in very often. So that certainly kept some momentum going for today, and I made a few pars after that and a couple of birdies coming in."

Leonard parred his next five holes after the chip-in save. At the 16th, Leonard hit a pitching-wedge to 12 feet and drained the birdie putt. He got to five-under thanks to a spectacular five-iron at the last. Leonard knocked it two feet and tapped in for his share of the lead.

Glover did not get off to a great start on Thursday. He birdied No. 2, but recorded back-to-back bogeys at three and four. He got back to even-par for the championship with a birdie at five.

Glover began his surge up the leaderboard thanks to three consecutive birdies from the eighth. He parred his next four, then birdied the 15th to get within one of the lead.

He tied for first with a 20-foot birdie putt at the 16th. Glover had a good chance to take sole possession of the lead at 17, but missed his 10-footer.

Glover saved a great par at the last to keep up with Love and Leonard.

Anthony Kim, John Rollins, Tim Herron, Jay Williamson, Brian Davis, Mathias Gronberg and Nick Dougherty matched Cink, Howell and Villegas in third place at four-under 68.

Defending champion Boo Weekley opened with a two-under 69 and is part of a group tied for 23rd place.

Brandt Snedeker and Steve Flesch both held the lead Sunday at Augusta National, but came apart. They shot matching rounds of one-under 70 on Thursday and are part of a logjam in 43rd.