Jimmy Walker has been working on being a more patient golfer in 2012. It paid off in Round 1 at Bay Hill when he birdied the difficult finishing holes, 17 and 18, for a 3-under 69 that put him in a large group tied for fourth place.
He converted a pair of 14-foot putts after a 6-iron into 17 and an 8-iron into the signature 18th hole. "One of the things I've been trying to improve is my mental approach," the veteran Texan, 33, said. "I didn't have a lot going on, bogeyed a few holes I shouldn't have, but I stayed patient on a tough layout and got rewarded at the end. It certainly will make lunch taste better."
Walker's round also included a chip-in birdie from 40 feet at the par-3 second hole.