THE WOODLANDS – When asked about holding the first-round lead despite the rain-delayed Insperity Invitational, Brett Quigley preferred discussing one of his fellow players from Friday instead.
Quigley was paired with Fred Funk, who started the PGA Tour Champions event by being the first to tee off from hole number one at 8 a.m.
This marked Funk’s 1,000th combined career start across two PGA tours.
Right before he teed off, Funk, who is 68 years old, received a cake to celebrate reaching this significant milestone, an achievement that has occurred just 25 times previously.
Before addressing queries regarding his own game, which ended prematurely at the 16th hole because of bad weather in the vicinity, Quigley was curious if there was still leftover cake available.
So far, everything has been great, but the exciting part is that I spent time with Fred Funk today,” explained Quigley, who found himself among the group of eight players leading at 4 under par. “I observed as he played in his 1,000th tournament; we share some past experiences together. The golf itself took a backseat to those moments.
While Funk served as the golf coach at Maryland, Quigley played for South Carolina during that time.
Among those at 4 under was Billy Andrade, who also shares a history with Funk from his time playing for Wake Forest when Funk coached Maryland.
Andrade is amazed that Funk managed to have such a remarkable career (with 29 professional victories) despite turning pro at an older age compared to most of his peers on tour.
Andrade mentioned that he began at the age of 28,” he stated. “In contrast, I initiated my career when I was 23. Many individuals with extended tenures in this field usually embark on their journey right after college.
When I was coaching at Wake Forest, he served as the golf coach at Maryland, so we crossed paths frequently. What stood out was that he spent more time hitting balls and playing golf than leading his team. It’s an incredible tale of an impressive career for such a likable person.
Quigley maintained a consistent performance throughout his round; though uneventful, it proved strong enough for him to share the top spot on the leaderboard with seven other players when play was halted.
Quigley remarked, ‘The golf course is fantastic; the greens are impeccable,’ adding, ‘As a result, the scores will likely be quite low since these fellows are skilled players.’
Quigley and tied for the lead at 4 under are Andrade (with 3 holes remaining), Ken Tanigawa (also with 3 holes left), Y.E. Yang (having completed 12 holes), Thongchai Jaidee (completing 12 holes as well), Mike Weir (who has finished 12 holes), Chad Campbell (after 9 holes), and Ernie Els (following 8 holes).
In his first appearance at the Insperity tournament, Campbell recorded an eagle, three birdies, and one bogey. Weir, who won the Insperity championship in 2021, started his game with an eagle on hole number one.
Scott Dunlap, last year’s champion, stands at 1 under par through his first seven holes.
Funk and Quigley were just halfway through their round, standing on the 17th fairway when they had to stop playing. At that point, Funk’s score was plus three. This marks Funk’s 1,000th appearance, which includes both PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions events.
The tournament play did not resume on the Tournament Course at The Woodlands Country Club following the initial horn blast around midday. By approximately 3 p.m., the match had been halted prematurely. No player among the total count of 78 managed to finish their respective rounds.
The initial round will continue on Saturday starting at 7:45 a.m.
It’s disappointing, but everyone will have to face this situation tomorrow,” Quigley stated. “Here’s hoping we won’t have anymore nasty weather by the weekend.
Being a frequent participant in the PGA Tour during the time of the Houston Open at this location, Quigley recalls the significant rainfall in the Houston region.
“I can’t recall every detail of past events, but it seems like this place gets quite rainy during them,” Quigley stated. “We’re accustomed to it now; at least for the previous couple of years. However, even back when I was touring, I recollect experiencing rain-related postponements here as well.”
Just a year ago, unfavorable weather conditions significantly impacted the Insperity Invitational, reducing the planned three-day tournament to a single day with two rounds of 36 holes.
On Friday, the horn initially blew near midday to halt activities. One hour afterward, players were allowed back onto the field and prepared to resume play. However, another surge of lightning struck the region around 1:15 p.m., leading to a secondary postponement.
Andrade began his round on the back nine and quickly found success. He recorded birdies at holes 10, 12, and 15, finishing with a score of 3 under par through just six holes played.
Andrade reached 4 under par with a birdie at hole number one before consecutively making five pars. He advanced as far as the seventh fairway in his progression.
He feels a bit let down for not being able to finish the first round on Friday, particularly since he started playing at 8:10 a.m.
Andrade stated, ‘We all aim to wrap up so we can catch some extra sleep. We must head back out by 7:45 a.m. This isn’t ideal, particularly considering our age group, but we have to deal with it. There’s no choice; you just move ahead. All of us are facing the same situation. Everybody needs to tackle this.’
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