Tim Petrovic uses Cheap Trick, 'Dream Police' to post sensational first round at Shaw Classic
American posts blistering 8-under-par 62 on first day of annual PGA Tour Champions event at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club
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Tim Petrovic was in his head ahead of the Shaw Classic.
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Tim Petrovic uses Cheap Trick, 'Dream Police' to post sensational first round at Shaw Classic Back to video
His game was off.
His confidence was lacking.
But a dose of Cheap Trick live at the Saddledome on the eve of Calgary’s PGA Tour Champions stop has perhaps turned Petrovic’s golf mind around — enough to give him the clubhouse lead midway through the first day of play with a blistering 8-under-par 62 at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club.
You know the words from the iconic rock band …
‘The dream police, they live inside of my head.’
That little ditty made for a better brand of thinking Friday morning.
“You know what?” said Petrovic, just moments after his first 18 holes of the Shaw Charity Classic presented by Rogers. “I have a lot of favourite songs of theirs, but they kind of hit me in the face when they came out and Robin (Zander) put on the police cap and they did ‘Dream Police’ kind of right out of the gate — I wasn’t expecting it. We were all expecting some of the other songs. I think that was one of their best songs they did (Thursday) night.
“That song wasn’t in my head, but I was feeling good (Friday),” continued Petrovic. “I just felt good. And I got my six hours of sleep after the (Cheap Trick-Rod Stewart) concert. I’m supposed to get about eight hours.”
For sure, Petrovic looked good despite what ended up being an ugly finish — weather-wise — to his round.
Never mind the rain and blustery conditions. Petrovic knocked down birdies on four of his final five holes to close out his sensational score.
He also had two birdies during his first nine holes and an eagle to cap his ‘in’ score — on the par-5, 585-yard 18th hole.
Not bad for a guy trying to figure out why he’s not scoring lately on tour.
“Game’s not really in good shape, no,” Petrovic said. “Expectations were not (high coming in).
“But you know what? I’ve been having some good practice sessions, and I think it was just a matter of me, you know, just kind of putting it all together on the golf course. Just made a little adjustment with my putting (Thursday) and kind of felt good over it (Friday) morning. I think I actually did have a three-putt, but it didn’t really bother me, because I felt good over all my putts. I was hitting my lines, and I just needed to get the ball on the green. Made a nice par-save, I think, on six. Hit a terrible tee-shot on that little short (par-4, 384-yard) hole and that (save) kind of kept my round going.
“You know, I’ve been having the same mind-set all year. I just haven’t put good rounds together all year. I’ve been shooting even-par, 1-over … This is the first year I have been hurt. I had this tennis elbow or soreness in my right arm, and I think that stems back from the U.S. (Senior) Open, when we had like eight-inch rough and I was out there trying to hit it out of that. Actually withdrew on the Friday afternoon — it was just getting too sore. So I think that’s been a lingering thing for me probably for the second half of the year. It’s still tender. I didn’t wear the band on it (Friday). But maybe it made me swing a little bit more like 80 per cent. I think that’s helping me a little bit.
“That’s just been the only thing that’s been bugging me this year but probably keeping me from getting some good rounds and just having a lot of average rounds.”
Hot on Petrovic’s tail after the opening 18 holes of the three-day event is fellow American Harrison Frazar.
The Dallas golfer carded a 6-under 64 to fall in line two shots behind the Massachusetts-born Petrovic.
“Yeah … I played well,” said Frazar, who’s making his third visit to the Shaw Classic. “I hit just a couple of poor shots. I missed the green on seven with a short iron and did not get it up and down out of the bunker. That’s the only mistake I made all day. Hit some good putts that didn’t go in. I chipped in once (on number two).
“It was just kind of a good day.”
Yes, just like Petrovic, Frazar’s in the right frame of mind.
“I’m driving the ball well, and I feel settled on the greens,” added Frazar, who posted seven birdies on Day 1, including four right out the gate in his first five holes. “I feel like I know these (greens). I feel like I’m comfortable with their speeds and how they break, so there’s not a lot of chaos in my own head. As long as I keep it between the trees, hit smart shots in the greens, I’m OK.
“I feel good about my game right now, so as long as I don’t get too far ahead of myself and start thinking about it too much … yeah … I should be OK.”
CHIP SHOTS
The ugly afternoon weather made for tougher conditions for those teeing off later Friday … Billy Mayfair came in at 5-under 65 to sit third followed by a bunch — Ken Duke, Dicky Pride, Thongchai Jaidee and Tom Pernice Jr. — at 4-under 66 … Next at 3-under 67 is a fivesome, which features the top Canadian of the day, Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont. That score looks pretty good given the conditions that he played most of his round in. “That was brutal,” Weir said. “The club slipped right out of my hands on the 15th hole. It was playing extremely hard there for about 45 minutes. Added Weir of the fans, though, “It was wonderful. They were awesome. I saw some shorts and t-shirts out there. When the weather came in, I was freezing with a shirt, sweater and rain jacket on, so Canadian hardiness, I guess, out there.” … First-timer Stewart Cink had the longest drive of the day — a blast of 347 yards on the par-5, 600-yard fourth hole … The first tee-times on Saturday’s Round 2 for what’s forecast to be a sunny day are set for 10 a.m. at Canyon Meadows … Day 2 includes an all-star lineup of current and former hockey players competing in the inaugural Rogers Legends of Hockey Charity Skins Game. Teeing-off about 2:45 p.m. and chasing $250,000 in a nine-hole tour of Canyon Meadows for their respective charities are eight athletes making up teams called The Puck-Stoppers (Curtis Joseph and Stuart Skinner) The Captains (Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Marie-Philip Poulin), The C of Red (Mike Vernon and MacKenzie Weegar) and The White Out (Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry).
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