Lonard makes a good start toward long recovery

IRVING, Texas (AP) _ Peter Lonard won't make this mistake again. <br/><br/>Instead of enjoying some time off with the boys Down Under, the 36-year-old Australian decided to get serious about his fitness

Friday, May 14th 2004, 5:50 am

By: News On 6

IRVING, Texas (AP) _ Peter Lonard won't make this mistake again.

Instead of enjoying some time off with the boys Down Under, the 36-year-old Australian decided to get serious about his fitness and his game during the short offseason. He came to Florida during Christmas break, worked out with his trainer and wound up cracking a rib that kept him off the PGA Tour for six weeks.

``Next year, I'll stay in Australia and get drunk with my mates, like I always do,'' Lonard said.

The injury set him back this year, but Lonard started to see some progress Thursday in the first round of the Byron Nelson Championship. Despite hitting only six fairways, he hit enough greens and holed enough putts to go around Cottonwood Valley in 6-under 64 to share the lead with J.L. Lewis.

Lewis also played the easier Cottonwood Valley, making no bogeys and all but one of his birdies inside 10 feet.

They were one stroke ahead of Tiger Woods, whose round looked familiar.

After finishing one shot out of the playoff at the Wachovia Championship despite hitting only 43 percent of his fairways, Woods again had a hard time finding the short grass, but certainly found the cup. Another erratic round off the tee was compensated with good iron play and great putting, and he wound up one shot back after a 65 on the TPC at Las Colinas. He was tied with Dudley Hart, who played Cottonwood Valley.

``Basically, I had one really bad golf shot today, and that was on 10,'' Woods said, referring to a driver that caddie Steve Williams suggested he hit. Woods went well right into the trees, had no chance to get to the green and hit a flop shot some 25 feet beyond the flag for a bogey.

Still, it wasn't a bad start considering he played on the tougher Las Colinas course.

Most players were surprised they even finished considering the weather _ gathering storm clouds, strong gusts and lightning on the horizon, but it was never close enough to the course that play was stopped.

The wind made it slightly more difficult for everybody; it was the first time in four years someone didn't post a 63 or better in the first round on the par-70 courses. Then again, the softer greens allowed 69 players to break par.

Nick Price finished with back-to-back 2s on his card _ a birdie on the par-3 17th at Cottonwood Valley, followed by a shot he holed from the 18th fairway for eagle. That put him in a large group at 66 that included Sergio Garcia, Jerry Kelly, Chris Smith and U.S. Open runner-up Stephen Leaney.

Defending champion Vijay Singh took double bogey on the 14th hole and had to rally for a 68, while Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els each had a 69.

``I certainly had my chances to go low today, but just didn't do it,'' Mickelson said. ``It wasn't a horrendous round, and I'm in a position where if I can go low tomorrow, I will be right back in it for the weekend.''

Dallas-based swing coach Hank Haney followed Woods around Las Colinas. There has been speculation Haney, who works with Mark O'Meara, is getting more involved with Woods' swing since Woods' split from Butch Harmon, although Woods said Haney is not his coach and that he seeks input from a variety of coaches and players.

``Some of the stuff I throw out, some of the stuff I'll try, and it either works or I'll throw it out later,'' Woods said.

Nothing is wrong with his putting. Woods took only 24 putts, and came within an inch of sharing the lead when his eagle chip on 16 hole caught the slope and was one turn from falling.

``It's was great to get off to a good, solid start,'' Woods said. ``Now, we get to go to the easier of the two golf courses. But you've still got to execute over there.''

Las Colinas (70.68) played about 1 1/2 strokes harder than Cottonwood Valley (69.28).

Lonard didn't return from his rib injury until the Nissan Open, and his results have been scattered. He got to the second round of the Match Play Championship and finished fifth at the BellSouth. Then again, he has made the cut in only two other tournaments.

The one constant: Lonard's working hard, at least on the golf course.

``I probably practiced as hard as I ever have and gotten worse each week,'' Lonard said. ``So it was nice to actually come back and play well. I think if you put in a lot of time practicing and doing the right stuff, sooner or later it'll come around.

``It's been a while since I've actually shot a low score, but I didn't feel that uncomfortable about the whole thing.''