I can’t even wait until Monday for this one. Playing on a past champion/current announcer/GaryMcCordLookAlike exemption, Roger Maltbie snuck his way into the ATT field this week and teed it up Thursday at Spyglass Hill. He played like Steven Bowditch’s mentor. Here’s the card:

Six bogies
Two doubles
Five birdies
Five pars

Hold on a second … five birdies? Maltbie made five birdies and still shot five over? Wait, it gets better. Three of his bogies were on par five holes. Holes that even the most ancient of pros expect to birdie, and Roger Dodger played them like a chop. That’s a potential six-stroke savings there for the Mr. Stake. He might be, might be I said, at -1 with three birdies on those holes. Don’t start celebrating just yet …

Think these guys are good? -1 after one round gets you a tie for 82nd, ten spots shy of making the cut. By my calculations, Maltbie will need some thirteen birdies to go with his three bogies and two doubles tomorrow. That will get him to -2 composite, and might earn him a weekend pass.

On the other end of the spectrum are Mike Weir and Luke Donald. How nuts were they today? Weir made ten birds and a boge to shoot -9, while Donald did him one better, with eight birds and a national chirp for -10. Better ball? Try -16 for these two undersized overachievers. The Peninsula, with its poa annua and tricky courses, may be the last stand for the shotmakers. If either raises the trophy on Sunday, my 5′9″ frame will raise a bottle of pop to him. Better yet, let’s have a playoff.

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