Janzen claims first round lead

Lee Janzen recorded six birdies and an eagle for 17 points and the first-round lead Thursday at The International.

This event, which debuted in 1986, features the modified Stableford scoring system, a format that awards players two points for a birdie, five points for an eagle, but no points for a par. One point is taken away for a bogey and three are deducted for a double-bogey or worse.

Play was suspended due to darkness with 42 players left on the course and the first round is scheduled to resume Friday at 9 a.m. (et). Rain and lightning delayed play for nearly three hours Thursday afternoon.

Janzen, who won here in 1995 and was the runner-up in '92, toured the 7,559- yard Castle Pines Golf Club in bogey-free fashion for a one-point advantage over Chris Riley. Rory Sabbatini was third with 14 points, while Scott McCarron finished alone in fourth place with 13 points.

1991 International champion Jose Maria Olazabal was part of a fifth-place tie with Brent Geiberger, Tom Pernice, Jr. and Mark O'Meara at 12 points, and two- time titlist Phil Mickelson and British Open winner David Duval were knotted with six others that finished with 11 points.

Duffy Waldorf had 11 points through 16 holes when play was called. Vijay Singh, the 1998 winner, collected 10 points and also had two holes to play.

"I feel very fortunate to get 17 points," Janzen said. "Not that I was not trying to make the points out there, but I haven't really played particularly well in a while, and I was just hoping to get back in some sort of rhythm and get off to a decent start."

Janzen, who hasn't entered the winner's circle since he captured his second U.S. Open title at Olympic Club in 1998, posted a season-best tie for second at the Houston Open in April but missed the cut in six of his next eight starts.

"I would have taken probably six to eight points today and been happy."

Janzen had eight points through the front nine alone. Four straight pars to start the back side were followed by a birdie at 14 to get to 10 points. Janzen added a 20-foot eagle putt at the par-five 17th to quickly vault to 15 points.

"I certainly wanted that putt more than probably usual," said Janzen, who went on to birdie the 18th from 12 feet for the lead. "You always want to make an eagle if you have a chance, but knowing that it is five points, sort of spurs you on."

Riley began on the back nine first and picked up just three points by the turn. He came to life on the way in with seven birdies, including five straight to close his round.

Riley, who tied for 14th last year, had to withdraw from Wednesday's pro-am due to a sore throat.

"I just pretty much slept all day yesterday and today I had no expectations but to go out there with my caddy and have fun and make a lot of birdies," he said. "The format is fun and exciting, and it's fun to have a change out here."

Defending champion Ernie Els was eight points off the pace with nine points on Thursday.

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