Three tied for lead after first round

In the two hours that Tiger Woods spent on a soggy golf course, he knocked the head off his driver with a mammoth tee shot, made five birdies in eight holes, and got into position for his sixth straight PGA Tour victory.

A first round that took two days in ever-changing weather for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am finally ended today with David Duval, Vijay Singh, and Notah Begay in the lead at 6-under-par 66 after taking advantage on soft, serene Poppy Hills.

Begay, who will spend a week in jail next month for aggravated drunken driving, had two eagles in his round, including a hole-in-one with a 6-iron from 168 yards on the sixth hole.

Woods finished with a 68 -- eight birdies, six pars, four bogeys and only 13 clubs in his bag when his round was over. The head of his driver snapped off on the 16th hole, which may have cost him an easy birdie chance on the par-5 18th.

"That was shocking," Woods said. "You don't expect that to happen."

Expect anything at Pebble Beach, where the tournament rarely goes according to plan.

The schedule is for the final three rounds to be played through Monday, but the tour wasn't holding its breath. A large storm system was expected by tonight, with another due Sunday night.

Pebble has had only one 72-hole tournament since 1995.

"It's very frustrating knowing that chances of playing four rounds are not very good," Woods said.

Still, none of the leaders were in a sour mood after playing their first round at Poppy Hills, the easiest of the three courses because it has five par-5s and is the most sheltered from the seaside wind.

Lee Janzen had the best score at Pebble Beach Golf Links, a 4-under 68. Grant Waite had a 68 at Spyglass Hill. Steve Scott, whom Woods beat on the 38th hole for his third straight U.S. Amateur title in 1996, had a 68 at Poppy.

Duval, the No. 2 player in the Official World Golf Ranking and the primary threat to No. 1 Woods, missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th at Poppy for his 66.

"It was trying conditions, as usual," he said of dividing the round over two days. "But that's what you come to expect, so I'm very pleased."

Woods also had few complaints, except for missing his driver on the last hole.

"I wanted to end up at 3- or 4-under, so this puts me right in the ball game," said Woods, trying to become the first player since Ben Hogan in 1948 to win six straight tour events.

No other event on the PGA Tour has this much luck involved. Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill are the toughest courses, and scores can skyrocket if a player catches them in the wind. The leaderboard was littered with players who spent the past two days at Poppy Hills.

"It ends up balancing out, and you get real upset if you're the one out on Pebble right now, but you gloat if you played Poppy, like I did," Duval said. "Next time out, it will probably be reversed, and I will be sulking then."

Woods wasn't hitting the ball particularly well on Thursday, and the half day off from rain and high wind seemed to help. His irons were like lasers into the green, never straying too far from the flag. His only bogey today was a three-putt from 15 feet, when he had the line but rammed it four feet by the hole.

The wheels didn't come off, but the head of his driver did.

After a 4-iron into four feet for birdie on the par-3 15th, Woods lashed at his driver and was left holding only a stick. The head tumbled some 85 yards down the fairway.

"Nice Arnold Palmer follow-through," Mark O'Meara told him, not realizing there was a reason for whipping finish.

Woods stared in disbelief at the shaft, then turned to the gallery and flexed his arms.

He still made birdie by hitting a 6-iron into 12 feet, and followed with another birdie on the par-3 17th, this from six feet.

Woods wasn't allowed to use the driver in the bag of his amateur partner, Stanford buddy Jerry Chang, but he's got another one for Saturday's round.

Still, the one that broke has some special memories.

"I've had it since the winter of '99," Woods said. "It's worked pretty well for me."

Pretty well? All he's done since then is win another major championship, seven PGA Tour events, one on the European tour, the World Cup, and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

Duval looks like he may finally be getting his entire game -- especially the putting -- together to make a run at Woods. He never came close to a bogey over the last two days and has a history of playing well at Pebble.

A year ago, Payne Stewart went from a one-shot lead to a one-shot victory when the final round was washed out, so it's never a bad idea to be near the lead from the start.

"I live to get out fast, regardless of the tournament," Duval said. "We've got three days to get in 54 holes, if you ask me. But I'm playing pretty well. I think I'm getting there."

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