GREG OWEN THREE SHOTS OFF THE PACE ON NATIONWIDE TOUR

By Joe Chemycz, Nationwide Tour staff
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee -- Nicholas Thompson fired a 9-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Children's Hospital Classic. Thompson salvaged par on his final hole late in the day, the only green he missed in regulation, and grabbed a two-stroke lead over Doug Barron, Justin Bolli, Monday qualifier Brice Garnett and Brent Delahoussaye.
Scott Dunlap, Englishman Greg Owen, Ted Potter junior, John Mallinger, Skip Kendall and Brett Wetterich are three shots back of the leader after the opening 18 holes at the Black Creek Mountain course.
"I just hit a lot of good golf shots," said Thompson, who got up-and-down from a greenside hazard on his final hole. "That ball was sitting on some grass so it wasn't that hard of a shot. I rolled it really nicely today too."
Thompson, who has been playing with different versions of a belly putter since his high school days in south Florida, made nine birdies on the day and only one that had any real length to it. His longest putt was a 30-footer that came on the par-3, 7th hole as his round came to a close. Thompson, using was he calls "an upper ab" putter, birdied three of the four par-3s but played the par-5s in just two under.
"Beating up the par-3s is huge because there are some tough golf shots on those holes with some changes in elevations," he said.
Thompson is No. 61 on the money list with only four events left on the schedule but says he isn't worried about the numbers just yet.
"I've looked at it and have some predictions for what it might take to make the top-60, the top-40 and the top-25," he said. "I do have those numbers but all I can do is look at it. I still have to go play some good golf."
His good golf was the result of a long practice session on Monday down the road at his alma mater, Georgia Tech University.
"I went down to our range at Tech and hit about five to six hours of wedges," he said. "I hit a couple of drivers but it was all wedges and nothing more than a pitching wedge. I hit a lot of really nice wedge shots in the range of three to six feet today."
Among those chasing the former Yellowjacket is former Georgia Bulldog Bolli, who is No. 62 on the money list.
"I wasn't hitting it very good but I was getting away with it on the front nine," he said. "I kept getting in front of it and leaving everything out to the right. I figured it out and started hitting some good shots."
Bolli closed his day with five birdies on his last six holes and like Thompson, isn't worrying about the top-25 on the money list this week.
"I'm not really stressed because I'm not really close right now," he said. "Right now I feel like I've got nothing to lose. It's probably easier in that respect. Granted, I would rather be 25th on the money list than where I am."
They're both in much better position than Barron, who has made only three of 11 cuts this year and is way down the list at No. 191.
"This is my Tour Championship because I'm not in the rest of the tournaments," said Barron, who has struggled to find his game since losing his US PGA Tour card several years ago.
"I've been putting so much attention on what's wrong. I tried not to give my bad shots so much attention and tried to give my good shots more attention," he said. "I actually had fun playing. The thing I've been struggling with is me. I've been struggling to even have fun out here and it's not because of the score. I'm trying to leave what's behind, behind because it hasn't been a good year, but that's over and I'm trying to look forward."
Englishman Greg Owen, a regular on the US PGA Tour until he lost his card last year, is tied for sixth on 66 afteer shooting seven birdies and one bogey. He birdied the first, sixth, eighth, 10th, 14th, 16th and 18th. His one slip came at the 13th.
Scotland's Russell Knox is taking the week off and the only other Brit in the field, England's Matthew Richardson shot a 70 but so high is the general standard of scoring on the Nationwide Tour that he is only in joint 69th place.


* John Peterson, the 2011 NCAA Individual Champion from LSU, is making his professional debut this week. Peterson lost a playoff to Harris English earlier this summer in Columbus, Ohio and gained entry into this week's event via Monday qualifying. Peterson hit 17 greens in regulation but also had 35 putts.
"I hit it good enough to shoot in the mid-60s, I just didn't putt very well," he said. "My speed was inconsistent. I hit one hard then I hit one soft, then I'd over-ready them. It was just bad."
Peterson admitted he felt a little bit different when his name was called by the starter on the tee today.
"It was a different feeling because it matters a little more. It's you livelihood now," he admitted. "It was a cool feeling but after the first or second hole, golf's golf. You just try to get it in the hole the fastest.
Andrew Black hit three balls out-of-bounds on the par-5 sixth hole and made an 11.
Black, a Monday qualifier from Chattanooga, shot an even-par 72 thanks to six birdies and his 11 on the par-5, 6th hole.
*104 of 144 players posted sub-par scores.

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