Associated Press
Thursday, April 20

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- It was a day Phil Tataurangi would just as soon forget.

	Tataurangi

Funny thing is, everything started out OK for the golfer from New Zealand in the first round of the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic. Tataurangi, who has earned close to $900,000 in his career, was at 2-under through four holes before disaster struck.

Tataurangi has been battling a pinched nerve in his neck for several months. It began bothering him again as he warmed up and got worse on his sixth hole of the day, on which he took a triple-bogey 8.

"It just got tighter and tighter," he said of his neck injury. "It just locked straight up."

It would only get worse en route to a 20-over 92.

Tataurangi's worst score was an 11 on the par-5 second -- which ranked as the second easiest hole of the day. He hit three tee shots out of bounds.

"I was Tin Cup," Tataurangi said, referring to the movie in which actor Kevin Costner hit ball after ball into a water hazard before finally getting on the green for a 12 to lose a fictitious U.S. Open.

"I just made half swings after that," Tataurangi said. "I played awful as well."

Tataurangi's score was so bad it wasn't even posted on his threesome's tote board as the group approached their final hole.

"Sure, it's disappointing, but if I can get some treatment and it feels better and I can go play tomorrow, it's better than not playing at all," Tataurangi said.