'Brutal' Conditions Force High Scores At Byron Nelson Open

Irving, TX (AHN) - In the highest scoring first round finish for the Byron Nelson Open since 1984, three players share the lead at only 3 under par - Matthew Goggin, Ryan Moore and Eric Axley.

The course was redesigned earlier this year and the results were telling. Jesper Parnevik, the 2000 Nelson champion, said the new course was simply "brutal." Consistent winds of up to 35 miles per hour buffeted players and their balls. Parnevik is currently 2-under-par, a shot out of the lead.

Of 156 golfers, only 24 broke par when - typically - birdies are quite common. The massive changes, combined with new firm wavy greens made for an extremely challenging game.

The unusual high scores are being attributed to the wind and wet fairways from rain the night before. Whether or not the redesign has made the course too challenging is up in the air.

"It's hard to make a real fair comparison right now, with the soft fairways and the wind blowing 20 mph," Harrison Frazar, a player and consultant during the renovations, told ESPN. "I don't think we need to jump to any conclusions too early."

A surprising finish came from Trever Immelman, the champion at this year's Masters tournament. He was 6-over-par after eight holes, and finished his first round fourth to last. He hasn't had much of a chance to reflect on his victory or rest since then.

"I just think I've just run out of gas," Immelman said. "I'm obviously real tired. I'm been trying to get as much sleep as I can, as well as obviously running around."