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Scott Simpson turns back the clock with 66

Scott Simpson fired a flawless round of six- under-par 66 Thursday to take a slim lead after the first day of the Greater Greensboro Classic. Seven players stand one shot off the pace with five-under 67s, among them Jerry Kelly and Australia's Aaron Baddeley.

Simpson, playing on a special medical exemption this season after missing the entire 2000 campaign with a broken ankle, rolled in a 12-foot birdie at the 16th hole to grab sole possession of the top spot at Forest Oaks Country Club.

"I'd say my chipping and putting was really the key to my round. Like everyone I missed some greens but I up-and-downed it every time," said Simpson, whose seven PGA Tour victories include the 1987 Greater Greensboro Open and U.S. Open. "Made a lot of good putts. That was probably the key to my round...It has been a long time."

The 45-year-old Simpson, who needed only 23 putts on Thursday, is in search of his first win since the 1998 Buick Invitational and has had only one finish in the top-10 since. After missing the cut in each his first four starts of the 2001 season, Simpson survived to play on the weekend in four of his next five starts, with his best finish a tie for 27th at the BellSouth Classic.

"I don't know what the week will hold, but I have been working hard and I have been playing better, so something like this is possible," he said.

Simpson got off to a strong start with a 12-foot birdie at the first and a two-putt from 40 feet for another at the par-five second. He made his way out with seven pars before reeling off three straight birdies in the 12 to 15-foot range from the 10th through the 12th to get to five-under par.

Simpson, who has earned $52,830 in nine starts this season, has another 20 events to collect the $391,000 he needs to regain his exempt status.

Kelly, who was paired with Tiger Woods in the final round of the The Players Championship last month, began on the back nine with four birdies over his first six holes, including a chip-in from just off the green at the 12th. He added another birdie at the second but gave the stroke back when he lipped out an eight-foot par putt at the fourth.

Kelly joined the logjam in second after a nine-iron to two feet set up a birdie at the sixth.

After his fourth place finish at Sawgrass, Kelly tied for 11th at the Bell South Classic but narrowly missed the cut in his next two events.

"I feel more confident, but I fell into a little trap there too," said Kelly. "I felt so confident that I didn't work at it. And I am glad I missed the cut each time by one shot instead of making it by one shot because I could have just chalked that up to, oh, I didn't play that well but I am still making cuts."

Although he was able to capture back-to-back titles at the Australian Open, including the first while still an amateur, Baddeley has struggled on the PGA Tour, missing the cut 10 times in 12 tournaments.

"I was very relaxed out there. I felt very comfortable," said the 20-year-old from Melbourne. "I like the golf course. It sort of reminds me of my home course back home. But this is only the first leg and hopefully tomorrow when I come out with the same mindset, very relaxed, and just try and shoot another five-under or better."

Also at five-under are Dudley Hart, Robert Damron, Shaun Micheel, Spike McRoy and Jeffrey Lankford.

Brett Quigley, the winner of the Buy.com Tour event in Arkansas last week, shot 68 for a share of ninth place with Joey Sindelar, Scott Hoch and seven others.

1996 Greater Greensboro Classic winner Mark O'Meara and '97 champ Frank Nobilo are among 16 players at minus-three.

Defending champion Hal Sutton, looking to join Sam Snead as the only players to repeat as the winner in Greensboro, stands four shots back of the leader following a two-under 70. Sutton notched his first win of the season at the Houston Open last week.

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