Matteson tops crowded leaderboard in Disney World

Golf Betting Lines

11/06/2008 - Lake Buena Vista, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Troy Matteson fired a nine-under 63 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Children's Miracle Network Classic.

Matteson's 63 came on the Palm Course at the Walt Disney World Resort. Players compete with amateurs the first two days and action is split between the Palm Course and the Magnolia Course.

Jimmy Walker also played the Palm Course and fired an eight-under 64. He was joined in second place by Scott Verplank and Kevin Streelman, who both played the Magnolia Course.

Five more players, four of whom are outside the top 125 on the money list, are one shot further back at minus-seven.

This is the final PGA Tour event of the season and players are fighting to get into the top 125 on the money list to keep their PGA Tour cards for next season.

Five of the top nine players on the leaderboard are outside the top 125 entering this week.

The other big story this week is Erik Compton, who is playing on a sponsors exemption. Compton is five weeks removed from his second heart transplant.

Compton opened with a two-under 70 and is tied for 61st. He carded an eagle, three bogeys and three birdies on the Palm Course.

"The front nine I just didn't really have it, and I knew I needed to get something going on the back because obviously the scores are pretty low," said Compton, who is allowed to ride a cart this year as he comes back from his heart surgery. "My concentration, I think, was not there today."

Matteson eagled the par-five opening hole, but settled in from there. He parred five straight after his opening eagle. He then used two hot stretches to fly up the leaderboard.

After a birdie on the par-five seventh, Matteson birdied eight and nine to make the turn at minus-five. He tripped to a bogey on the par-five 11th, but came right back with a birdie on the 12th.

Matteson, the 2006 Frys.com Open winner, made it two straight as he also birdied the 13th. He followed with his second eagle of the day at No. 14.

That second eagle gave Matteson a share of the lead at minus-eight. He rolled in a birdie effort at 17 to grab the outright lead.

This is the second 18-hole lead Matteson has held this season. He led after on round of the Buick Invitational, before going on to tie for 11th that week.

Walker played the back nine first on the Palm Course. He birdied the 10th, 12th and 17th. On the front nine, Walker birdied four of the first five holes to jump to minus-seven. His final birdie came at the par-five seventh.

Verplank birdied four of his first five holes from the 10th at the Magnolia Course. He birdied No. 17 to turn in five-under. Verplank ran off three straight birdies to close his round at minus-eight.

"Today was the first day, I think since the Northern Trust Open that I actually felt like I putted good," Verplank admitted. "I putted so poorly. I've been out here 22 years and this has been by far the worst putting year I've ever had. So I've been working hard on that."

Streelman birdied the second, but tripped to a bogey on No. 5. He poured in six consecutive birdies from the eighth, then birdied 15 and 18 to share second.

The group tied for fifth at minus-seven includes former PGA Champion Rich Beem, Kirk Triplett, Robert Gamez, Robert Garrigus and Steve Marino.

There are eight more players tied for 10th at six-under 66. That group includes Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Robert Allenby and Zach Johnson.