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Purtzer Leads at MasterCard

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[January 19, 2008]  KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) -- Tom Purtzer shot a bogey-free 10-under 62 on Friday to take the first-round lead in the Champions Tour's season-opening MasterCard Championship.

Jim Thorpe, who tied for second last year and is coming off a victory at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, was a stroke back along with his playing partner Allen Doyle.

Purtzer was strong off the tees, hit all 18 greens in regulation and putted just 28 times. His 62 was a stroke shy of the course record set by Loren Roberts when he won in 2006. It was Purtzer's 13th under-par round at Hualalai, where he finished fifth in his 2004 debut and ninth the following year.

The 56-year-old Purtzer birdied three of the first six holes and made a 15-foot eagle putt on the 551-yard seventh that was set up by a stunning shot with a rescue club. He made birdie putts inside 8 feet on Nos. 9-11, 13 and 15 to reach 10 under.

"That helps my scoring average a little bit. If I could just stop right now," said Purtzer, seeking his fifth Champions Tour title.

Last year, he beat Loren Roberts in a four-hole playoff at the AT&T Champions Classic and finished a career-best eighth on the money list.

The players tore through the meticulous, oceanside layout in calm conditions and slightly overcast skies that hid the peak of Mount Hualalai and provided a little relief from the sun.

"It was another day in paradise," said Weibring, who opened with a 64.

Purtzer said scoring conditions were perfect.

"When you get a golf course in as good as shape as this one is, the scores are going to be low," he said. "Everything about the golf course is as good as it can be."

He said his round is surprising because he had to take four days off last week after getting a cortisone shot in his left elbow.

"It helped my confidence," he said. "When you take three months off, you're not really sure how things are going to go. A round like today does a lot for your confidence."

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Thorpe tied Purtzer for the lead momentarily. Thorpe hit a knockdown 7-iron to set up his 6-foot birdie on No. 16 that moved him to 10 under, but lost a stroke on the next hole when his tee shot from 164 yards found the lava rocks on the right side.

The group at 65 included John Harris, Mark McNulty, Eduardo Romero, Mark Wiebe and Jay Haas, seeking an unprecedented third straight player of the year award.

Jerry Pate, Bob Gilder, John Jacobs, Benhard Langer, Brad Bryant, Tom Watson and Tom Jenkins shot 66s. Pate struggled early and made the turn at 37 but carded a 29 on the back nine.

Defending champion Hale Irwin struggled. The 62-year-old star, who skipped Thursday's pro-am for personal reasons, was at 72, which snapped his streak of 12 straight rounds in the 60s.

Last year, Irwin won the winners-only tournament, beating Thorpe and Tom Kite by five strokes for his tour-record 45th victory. Irwin closed with a 65 for a 23-under 193 total.

Mark James and Andy Bean were the only eligible player not entered. Bean has an injured back and James has opted to stay in Europe until early February.

[Associated Press; By JAYMES SONG]

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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