Howell, Furyk share lead in Vegas Classic
Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press, Las Vegas
Charles Howell III, playing with the confidence of a first-time winner, got in with a 7-under 65 before the wind started to blow Thursday and tied three-time champion Jim Furyk for the second- round lead in the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas.
Both Howell and Furyk took advantage of early tee times before afternoon winds picked up to set the pace at 12 under after two rounds of the 90-hole tournament played at three courses.
Howell, coming off his first win last week at the Michelob Championship, got to 12 under with an eagle on No. 13, then parred the rest of the way as the wind began to pick up in the desert.
"Now that I've won a tournament, I'm probably a little more relaxed," Howell said. "That's probably the No. 1 thing. I'm just more relaxed."
Howell and Furyk were both at 12 under, though Furyk's total of 131 was a stroke better because one of his rounds came on the par-71 TPC Canyons course, one of three in rotation in the pro-am event.
For Furyk, it was a familiar territory. Before winning the Memorial this year, half of his six wins had come in Las Vegas.
Furyk won here for the first time in 1995 and then in 1998-99. He's won US$1.23 million in seven years of playing here, and could go over the $2 million mark by winning the $900,000 first prize.
In Saint Nom La Breteche, France, Germany's Alex Cejka shot a 7-under-par 64 to take a single-shot lead Thursday in the first round of the US$1.5 million Lancome Trophy.
The 31-year-old Cejka, who has a reputation for committing crucial errors, opened up with four straight birdies and took eight birdies overall with one bogey.
"I'm feeling very confident, even with my putting," Cejka said. "Today, no stupid mistakes!"
Nick Faldo, who recently announced his intention of playing his way into the next European Ryder Cup squad, birdied the first four holes like Cejka, and shot a 65 to finish in a six-way tie for second place.
American Tom Gillis, Scotland's Dean Robertson, Fredrik Jacobson and fellow-Swede Richard S.Johnson, and Dutchman Maarten Lafeber shared second slot with Faldo at 65.
In Mobile, Alabama: Sweden's Carin Koch shot a 10-under-par 62 on rain-softened greens on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA Tournament of Champions.
Annika Sorenstam, planning to play the final five events of the season in a bid to break Mickey Wright's LPGA Tour record of 13 victories in a season, had a 66, while Nancy Lopez shot a 68 in her final event as a tour regular.
Sorenstam was at 66 along with Janice Moodie, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc and Emilee Klein, while Michele Gustafson and Michele Redman followed at 67.
Sorenstam won the Samsung World Championship last week for her career-high ninth tour victory of the year and 40th career title. The Swedish star has 11 worldwide victories in 20 starts, winning her last four individual tournaments - the Compaq Classic in Sweden and three LPGA Tour events.