Molder and Parel leading in Utah after first round

By John Bush
PGA TOUR staff


Sandy UT -- Bryce Molder and Scott Parel wasted little time getting started at the $475,000 Utah Energy Solutions Championship, firing bogey-free, 8-under-par 64s to grab a one-shot lead over Ken Duke and Craig Lile at the Nationwide Tour’s 24th event of the season.

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“Today was a once-in-a-year round in that I didn’t hit it spectacularly well but I scored well,” said Molder, a 27-year-old native of Harrison, AR. “I was just holding on there at the end. I didn’t feel great with the way I was hitting it. But I’m not going to hit the most fairways out here. I’m good at scrambling though.”

While his ball-striking may have been suffering, Molder was unconscious with the putter -- needing just 21 putts around the par-72 Willow Creek Country Club. Solid putting isn’t foreign to Molder, who finished the 2004 season ranked second in putting average and is currently ranked 23rd on Tour.

“Twenty-one putts is not bad,” said Molder. “I made everything today. I’ve been putting well but nothing has been going in. They all went in today.”

Molder has made 10 of 16 cuts this season, including five top-25 finishes and a season-best tie for third place finish three weeks ago at the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic.

“I’ve been playing well recently,” said Molder, currently No. 61 on the official money list. “I’ve been hitting it solid and finding myself in contention just about every week. I’m in a position that if I play well the rest of the year I’ll be all right.”

Since graduating from Georgia Tech in 2001, Molder has been under the spotlight to meet the expectations many held for him after one of the most distinguished collegiate playing careers in history. One of just four players to be named a four-time First Team All-American -- with David Duval, Phil Mickelson and Gary Hallberg the others -- Molder established numerous NCAA records on his way to two Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year awards and three Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year honors.

“It has been a long process,” said Molder, who posted a career-best third-place finish on the PGA TOUR at the 2001 Reno-Tahoe Open. “But expectations are worthless. It is easy to get out there and feel like there’s only one way to play the game. I got caught up in that trap. I’ve been trying to not hit bad shots for so long instead of focusing on hitting good shots.”

With the wind dying down considerably from what Molder and the rest of the morning wave experienced, Parel took advantage of the more docile conditions in the afternoon to post his career-low round on the Nationwide Tour. His previous low was a 65, set on three different occasions and most recently during the first round of the 2006 Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open.

“It was very benign out there this afternoon,” said Parel, currently No. 100 in season earnings during his third full season on Tour. “I played solid and hit shots like I wanted to. I rolled the ball well and had good speed on the greens after the three-putt on my first hole.”

The 41-year-old Parel started playing competitive golf later than most, turning professional in 1996. After deciding against walking on to the University of Georgia golf team, he focused instead on his Computer Science degree -- which he earned in 1986. The Augusta, GA resident finally turned pro ten years later and immediately began winning tournaments on the mini-Tours, while also continuing to work as a Computer Programming Analyst. He finally joined the Nationwide Tour in 2003 and has risen on the money list each year of membership.

“I played all kind of sports in high school and was probably a better baseball player than anything,” said Parel. “I didn’t really play much golf during college. I did well on the mini-Tours in the late-90s though. This year I’m finally feeling more comfortable (on the Nationwide Tour). I feel I belong.”

First Round News & Notes: Mike Perez posted the 10th hole-in-one in tournament history with an ace at the par-3, 189-yard fifth hole. As a result, locally-based O.C. Tanner Jewelers will present Perez with His and Hers Rolex Watches…There were eight bogey-free rounds on Thursday…Andy Morse was the only player with two eagles (Nos. 12 & 17)…Defending champion Garrett Willis posted a 2-over 74…In 23 tournaments in 2006, Tripp Isenhour (Movistar Panama Championship and the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship) and Doug LaBelle II (Price Cutter Charity Championship) are the only players to carry the 18-hole lead on to victory…David Sutherland (2001) is the only player in the seven-year history of the Utah Energy Solutions Championship to carry the 18-hole lead on to victory.

Article Courtesy of PGATour.com