Ted Potter got out of the gate quickly yesterday with a solid opening round on the Old White TPC course where he won his first PGA tournament, and sits in a tie for 17th place at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

   Ted posted a 4-under-par 66 and heads into today's round four strokes behind leader Robby Shelton, but just two behind a group of four who are tied for third. The reason he's down in 17th is because there's an 11-way deadlock for sixth at 5 under.

    Ted birdied the fifth and seventh holes for a front-nine 32, and a birdie on 10 put him at 3 under. A bogey at 15 dropped him back to 2 under, but he birdied the par-5 17th and the par-3 18th to finish strongly. 

    The 18th is where Ted cemented his initial Tour triumph in 2012, making birdie after birdie, first  on the 72nd hole and then into a playoff with Troy Kelly. At a barbecue Saturday at the Golden Hills home of his in-laws, Bob and Debbie Cox, Ted noted that the 18th played at a little more than 160 yards back then, but has been lengthened to 185 yards for this event and will be somewhat tougher. However, the added distance wasn't a problem for him in round one because he stuffed his tee shot just 10 inches from the hole. 

    Ted tees off today at 12:55 in the company of Sung Kang and Adam Long in the chase for the major share of the purse of $7.5 million. 

     

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