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Mylan Classic: Dunlap, Sisk share lead
Shoot 6-under 65s in opening round; Mediate two shots off the pace
Friday, September 03, 2010

Neither Scott Dunlap nor Geoffrey Sisk played a true practice round at Southpointe Golf Club. Practice rounds drive Dunlap crazy. And while Sisk flew from Boston to Baltimore to Pittsburgh, his clubs flew to Philadelphia.

"I was in panic mode," Sisk said.

They did not need practice. Dunlap and Sisk shot a 6-under 65 to tie for the lead Thursday after the first round of the Nationwide Tour's Mylan Classic.

Seven players finished at 5 under, including Dicky Pride and Brent Delahoussaye.

Greensburg native Rocco Mediate shot 4 under, hitting 16 of 18 greens in the process. He bogeyed only the 18th and credited a new putting grip to his success.

"Today was one of my best putting rounds in quite a while," he said.


Today
  • Event: Second round of Mylan Classic, Southpointe Golf Club, Canonsburg.
  • When: 7:20 a.m. first tee time.
  • TV: 12:30 p.m., Golf Channel.

Sisk, who arrived Tuesday night, borrowed clubs and asked to play in the pro-am Wednesday, so he could see the course. After his first round, though, he said he would not change the way he played.

"Everything was great how I played today," he said. "There's not a shot I would have hit any differently all day."

Sisk started on the back nine and birdied six of his first seven holes. He was just off the green at the 542-yard par-5 11th hole in two, chipped to within 15 feet and made the birdie putt.

On the front nine, his back nine, bogeys on three and seven canceled out birdies on six and eight.

Sisk finished tied for third at the Chiquita Classic July 18 but had missed three consecutive cuts before the Mylan Classic. Rather than backing off Thursday because of his early success, he floored it.

"If you're playing well, you have to stay smart-aggressive," he said.

"You usually do the opposite, when you're playing a little well you get more conservative."

Dunlap, who played with Pride, birdied three holes on the front nine, but climbed the ranks on the back. After bogeying 11, he made 8-foot birdie putts on 14 and 15. He left his second shot on the par-4 16th short, but chipped in from 50 yards away for birdie.

"When I holed it, I didn't even know it," he said. "Dicky said nice shot, and I come up over the hill and, look, the ball's gone."

He hit a 9-iron to four feet on 18 and birdied to end his round.

Pride birdied six holes on the front nine -- "After nine holes, it looked like he was going to shoot 58," Dunlap said -- and sank a 40-foot putt on the seventh hole. Some overgrown grass helped his cause on the 540-yard eighth, where his 3-wood approach shot landed atop long grass covering rocks in the edge of a hazard. Somehow, his chip shot ended up two feet from the pin, and he tapped in for birdie.

"Yeah, no problem, that's how I planned it," he deadpanned. "But that was a really good break."

Kevin Shields, director of instruction at Sewickley Heights Golf Club, finished at 5 over, and John Aber, head pro at Allegheny Country Club, shot 3 over. Dennis Dolci of Tam O'Shanter Golf Club finished at 9 over.

Nationwide Tour officials expect Arnold Palmer to attend the round today to watch his grandson, Sam Saunders. Saunders finished at 1 under.


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First published on September 3, 2010 at 12:02 am