Kent Fukushima usually flatlines with the flatstick.
The putter has been the death of him all season.
But yesterday at the Telus Open the Grande Prairie pro used his nemesis to beat the living daylights out of the Derrick, setting the early first-round pace and tying the course record with a sizzling 64.
His 25-foot putt birdie on 18 for a 63 was dead in the heart, but stopped two inches short. It was one of the very few times his putter didn't come through.
"It has to be my lowest score on the Canadian Tour," said the 33-year-old journeyman, who hasn't been on the first page of many leaderboards in his career. "It feels good. I've been in the top three a few times in first rounds, but I don't think I've been leading before."
He is now, but it's a tenuous one-stroke advantage over New Zealand's Nick Davey, Kingston, Ont.,'s Matt McQuillan and Salt Lake's Todd Tanner, all at six-under par 65. Ten other players are within three shots of the top, including David Hearn at four-under 66.
It's heady, unfamiliar territory for Fukushima, whose season - and much of his career - has been a minefield of back problems, missed putts and missed cuts.
"The way I've been playing I was just kind of walking on egg shells, like I'm going to give one back here any time," he said. "I've had so many good rounds going and given them back that I was just like, well let's see what happens and wasn't really expecting anything. It was just nice that it kept going. Ultimately, the putter saves your butt."
Instead of kicking it, which is normally the case whenever he gets near a green.
"I've been putting just horrifficly all year," he said. "When you've missed that many short putts all year, and crucial ones, like par saves and up and downs for birdies ... it's killing me. I'm throwing away five shots a round. So it's beautiful to putt well, hopefully I can keep them going in the hole."
And nice to see a local guy (sort of) in the mix.
"It's cool, but being in Grande Prairie you're kind of off the beaten path a bit. It's not like I'd be treated like a home town guy necessarily, but a lot of people are close by, certainly a lot of friends and family, which is great. I feel like it's my own tournament now."
Teeing off at 8:40 a.m., Fukushima got it started early and rode the wave all morning. He birdied his first two holes, made a 15-foot par saving putt on No. 3, then birdied No. 4 and No. 5 and made a 12-foot par saver on No. 6.
"I was four under so fast I felt it could have been six or so.," he said. "I'm like 'All right, I'm finally starting on the right foot.' "
He was six under after 11 and had it to eight under before his only bogey of the day, on the par 3 17th, stalled the stretch drive.
Usually when Fukushima is putting up numbers they're on his moonlight job as yardage book supplier for the Canadian Tour.
He visits every track in advance, lasers out the yardage from various landmarks, makes a map of each hole and binds it all into back-pocket guides that few of the touring pros can do without.
NICE RACKET
It's a nice little racket - he'll sell up to 150 per tournament for $15 each, which translates into more than he usually earns playing - but it eats into his concentration and practice time.
"The week before Winnipeg, I played Sunday in Vancouver, flew to Edmonton Sunday night, came out to the course because they changed the whole irrigation system, did the yardages Monday, flew out Tuesday for a practice round (in Winnipeg), worked on the book Tuesday and Wednesday, practiced, then played in the tournament on Thursday and finished the book up when I got here on the weekend.
"They take a lot of my time and a lot of my focus, but I don't have any major sponsorship so (the books) keep me going."
A big payday would be certainly help in that respect, but there's a lot of golf to be played before they hand out the cheques. He'll be up against a strong field and, having never really been here before, a stronger case of nerves.
A FEW NERVES
"There probably will be," he said. "There were some putts today where I felt nervous and some where I didn't. You just have to handle it.
"That's what's great about it. I'm in a position where I have to face that situation and learn from it and see what happens."
