Thursday, March 25, 2010

Davis Love III isn't giving up on the Masters just yet.

Needing a victory in the next two weeks to avoid having to stay home from the Masters for the third straight year, Love opened with a 6-under 66 on Thursday to share the lead with J.B. Holmes in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Love ran off four birdies and an eagle over a five-hole stretch early in his round at Bay Hill, although the finish was important, too. Love went long off the 18th, chipped 8 feet short of the cup and made the par putt.

Holmes played in the morning, starting with a 40-foot birdie putt. He played bogey-free on revamped Bay Hill course.

They were one shot ahead of Mike Weir and Henrik Stenson, with Ernie Els and Robert Allenby among those at 68.