NATIONWIDE TOUR REPORT

Michael Sim bogeys the last for

a six-under-par 65 in Kansas

Paul Claxton, a 41-year old from Georgia, decided to go back to an old putter that helped him time after time in the past. The results have been immediate. Claxton needed only 25 putts to shoot an 8-under-par 63 and grab the first-day lead in the inaugural Nationwide Tour's Christmas in October Classic at Overland Park, Kansas.
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Related Links
Leaderboard: Scores
Scorecard: Claxton
Nationwide Tour Weekly
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Claxton's putting efforts resulted in 10 birdies and put him one up on Tom Gillis, winner of the Nationwide Tour Players Cup and the No. 4 money winner in 2009.
Hunter Haas, leading money-winner Aberdeen-born Michael Sim, Garrett Osborn and Canadian Chris Baryla are two shots back at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate.
Heavy rains this week have dumped approximately five inches of rain on the par-71 lay-out, forcing officials to allow lift, clean and place conditions for round one.
"I've been switching putters and that's just not good," said Claxton who changed things up two weeks ago and immediately tied for sixth at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open. "We make it harder than it is. You'd think after all these years I would figure that out."
After missing nine cuts in his first ten starts and 13 of his first 16, the Vidalia resident called upon an "old faithful" to bail him out of a prolonged slump. He added another top-25 finish last week in Springfield, Mo., at the Price Cutter Charity Championship.
"I went through a bunch of other putters that didn't work," he said. "When you're making putts, you don't know why and when you're missing them, you don't know why either. They're just going in and I'm trying to enjoy that part of it."
Claxton enjoyed a career-best score, topping his previous mark of 64, which he'd done three times, most recently at the 2007 Fort Smith Classic.
While Claxton is enjoying the day, nobody seems to be having more fun than the 41-year old Gillis, who hasn't missed a cut in his eight starts this season and has already locked up a spot on the US PGA Tour next year. Gillis has a win, a second and tie for third in his last four starts.
Despite that, the Michigan native finds himself having trouble staying focused. Gillis has played all over the world and had two previous shots at the PGA Tour after successfully surviving the qualifying tournament.
"I've probably never been as relaxed on the golf course as I am now," he said. "I've never been in this situation before. At times I feel flat starting the day out. It's been very difficult to keep my mind on the task at hand and what I'm trying to accomplish here. The previous times I didn't have six months to prepare. I had about three or four weeks."
Gillis' recent success has helped him push his season earnings to $270,796, which is more than enough make sure he's one of "The 25" Tour graduates in October.
"I've seen guys go through this," he said. "I've never lived it and I always wondered why they struggled after they get to a certain amount. Now, I could see why that could happen. You just start thinking about where you want to go next and you just get flat. I feel good though, but a seven-under score will do that for you."
Michael Sim, who needs one more win this season to make an automatic leap over to the US PGA Tour ahead of next season, was 7-under after a birdie at No. 17 but his 5-iron on the final hole found a greenside bunker and he missed his par attempt from six feet, settling for a 6-under 65.
Sim is coming off a T51 finish at last week's US PGA Championship in Minnesota. The 24-year old Aberdonian also tied for 18th in the U.S. Open at Bethpage in New York, his only other US PGA Tour outing this year.