Rinker leads after opening 64

Larry Rinker fired a bogey- free, eight-under-par 64 to open a two-shot lead over Danny Briggs after Thursday's opening round of the Buy.com Shreveport Open at Southern Trace Country Club.

Rinker, who began his round on the back nine, birdied four of his first six holes to make the turn in 32. He managed to match that score on his second nine with birdies on holes one, two, three and five.

"I happened to have a day where I hit the ball very well," said Rinker, who shot his best round as a member of the Buy.com Tour. "I just played real solid all day."

Rinker, 42, played full time on the PGA Tour from 1982 to 1994, notching runner-up finishes in the 1984 USF&G Classic and the 1985 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. He split his time between the big tour and the Buy.com Tour in 1995-96, then played exclusively on the PGA Tour the past three seasons.

Rinker's best Buy.com Tour showing was a tie for seventh at the 1995 Mississippi Gulf Coast Open.

Briggs, who shot 66, also toured Southern Trace's 6,916-yard layout without making a bogey.

Keith Clearwater, another PGA Tour veteran, carded a 67 to finish the first round tied at minus-five with Kevin Pendley, John Kernohan, Kelly Grunewald, R.W. Eakes and Tripp Isenhour. Isenhour was the winner of last month's Mississippi Gulf Coast Open.

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