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Cox, Newsom share first-round lead By DON HUNT Bob Cox wasn't listed among the favorites when the Rogue Valley Stroke Play City Championships got under way Saturday at Cedar Links Golf Club. Cox hasn't won a tournament in six years and, at the age of 47, his best golfing days could be considered behind him. But the Medford mortgage broker went on a four-hole birdie binge and, when the dust settled, found himself with a share of the lead after shooting a 2-under par 68. Portland's Brooks Newsom also carded a 68 along the challenging course in east Medford. "This feels awfully good," Cox said as he walked off the 18th hole Saturday. "I just hope I can keep it going for one more day." The tournament concludes today with players in the open division teeing off at 11:40 a.m. Two-time defending champion Brad Bills, Glen Clark and Jay Klemp were in a three-way tie for third after firing 1-over-par 71s. Marty Morlan, Scott Tuttle and Justin Wise were another stroke back at 72. The best score of the day was turned in by Bob Harrell in the senior division, who registered a 7-under 63. Luneta Ah-Sam paced the women with a 72. Cox didn't have particularly high expectations as he stepped to the first tee Saturday. After all, he hadn't won an event since claiming the junior-senior division of the Southern Oregon Golf Tournament in 1995 and he struggled with his putter during last week's club championship event at Rogue Valley Country Club. But none of that mattered when Cox birdied the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes Saturday, draining 25- and 30-foot putts along the way. Since Cox started on the 10th hole Saturday, his birdie stretch occurred at the end of his opening nine holes. "I think the thing I'm most pleased about is that I didn't get nervous after I made all those birdies," Cox said. "Sometimes you get in that situation and you think, 'Wow, I must be leading the tournament,' and then you double bogey the next hole. "But today my mindset was to step up to the next tee box and get another birdie." Cox settled for par on the next hole, but only after watching his ball hit the back of the cup on his approach shot from 150 yards and then missing a 10-foot putt. Cox then suffered his only three-putt of the round on the second hole for bogey and also bogeyed the difficult seventh hole to drop back to 2-under. Although Cox hit 14 of 18 greens Saturday, perhaps the biggest factor in his low round was a new putting tactic. "I'm closing my eyes on any putt closer than four feet," he disclosed. "I missed several short ones during the club championship. This way, I don't over-analyze my putting stroke. I just close my eyes and hit the ball." Newsom, meanwhile, had a steady round with 14 pars, three birdies and one bogey. He easily could have shot a 65 had he not narrowly missed three birdie opportunities. "I had a few putts lip out, but I can't be too discouraged," said Newsom, 32, who is searching for his first city championship. Newsom was one of the few players to birdie the par-4 seventh hole that features possible water trouble off the tee and a treacherous, sloping green. Newsom didn't hit a particularly good tee shot but whacked a 4-iron within 25 feet of the cup and then sank a twisting, sidehill putt. "I was lucky on that hole," he admitted. "If I miss that putt then I'm a good six feet past the cup." Wise wasn't so lucky. He hit his tee shot out of bounds on the seventh and wound up with a triple bogey to go from 3-under to even-par. Wise then double-bogeyed the eighth hole and finished with a 72. Bills also looked to be in some trouble as he approached the final, difficult stretch of holes at 2-over par. But he parred all five of them to remain three shots behind the leaders and gave himself a realistic chance at winning the tournament for a third straight year. "I felt good about being able to stay mentally tough down the stretch," Bills said. "Those are five tough holes." Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.