Golf: Three players share WNB Classic lead

MIDLAND It usually is an advantage to play golf early in the morning in the Permian Basin, finishing 18 holes before the winds start to pick up.

During Thursday's first round of the Nationwide Tour's WNB Golf Classic at Midland Country Club, the half of the field that went out in the morning was hoping for exactly those conditions, and it got them - for the first two holes.

Then, around 8:30 a.m., the gentle breeze turned into a two-club zephyr and the entire field felt the full affect, making the leading score that much more impressive.

Spencer Levin and Tom Gillis each battled through the morning session, while Reid Edstrom battled gusts of 29 miles per hour in the afternoon to create a three-way tie at the top at 6-under-par 66.

Sitting tied for second, one shot back, are Aron Price, Miguel Angel Carballo and Gary Christian.

The second round gets underway at 8:05 a.m. today, with a cut to the final 60 and ties to be made at the conclusion of the round.

Levin, from Elk Grove, Calif., birdied three of the first four holes en route to a 4-under 32 on the front nine. An eagle on the 552-yard par 5 12th hole, followed by yet another birdie on 13 which put him at 7-under before his one hiccup of the round when he bogeyed No. 14.

Hitting his tee shot down the left side of the fairway, where he was unable to find it, Levin had to go back to the tee for another shot, his third, and still managed to bogey the hole.

"Basically, I'm trying as hard as I can," he said. "I'm trying my hardest on every shot; whether it's a bad one or a good one, I try to forget it and focus on the next shot."

Gillis, from Oxford, Mich., also started quickly, getting to 3-under after five holes. But bogeys on 6 and 8, sandwiched around another birdie at 7, stalled the front-side charge.

After three consecutive pars to start the back nine, Gillis eagled No. 12 and birdied 14 and 15 for a 4-under-par 32 coming home.

"Seems like everything I did went right," said Gillis, who played for five years on the European PGA Tour from 1998-2002 and competed in this year's British Open at Royal Birkdale. "It's one of those days; you don't get a lot of them.

"Putts from 40-50 feet were going in. I love this place; you've got to hit shots and the wind blows. I love playing golf like that."