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Slocum leads after career low score

Heath Slocum posted his lowest career round on Thursday with an eight-under 64 and took a one-shot lead at the Buy.com Greater Cleveland Open.

Mike Schuchart, Rob Bradley and Paul Curry are tied for second at 65.

Slocum first got into red figures at the third with a nine-iron approach that landed four feet from the hole. He two-putted from 35 feet at the par- five fifth for another birdie.

He carded two birdies in a row at seven and eight when he drained a three- footer and 40-footer, respectively. At nine, Slocum two-putted from 100 feet to save par and record a front-nine 32.

"Eight and nine were the big things for me today," said Slocum, who has two top-10 finishes this season. "I made a real long putt on eight for birdie and nine I just hit it too far and through the fairway. Wedged it out to just the very front of that green. I mean, I had 100 feet and knocked it by four feet and made it for a two-putt. That kept the momentum."

Slocum made a pair of 12-foot birdie putts at 10 and 12 before he parred 13. He hit an eight-iron to four feet to set up birdie at No. 14. At 15, Slocum blasted out of a bunker and made birdie from eight feet.

"Confidence is contagious and once you see a few of the putts start dropping ... as long as you believe in yourself and have positive thoughts, they are going to start falling eventually," said Slocum. "They just happened to fall today. Hope to keep it up the rest of the week."

Schuchart made six birdies in a row, starting at the second hole, but bogeyed the ninth to cost him a share of first.

Bradley's seven-under round was highlighted by a six-foot eagle at the par- five fifth.

Curry was flawless on Thursday with five birdies and an eagle in his first round.

Charley Hoffman, Bob Friend, Ryuji Imada. Jim Benepe, Tim O'Neal, Paul Claxton and Andrew McLardy share fifth at six-under 66.

Casey Martin carded a four-under 68 Thursday in his first round since the U.S. Supreme Court decided that he would be able to drive a cart on PGA Tour sanctioned events.

"I'll take it," Martin said. "I don't feel like I played that great, but 68 is one of my best rounds this year."

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