Roberts leads with opening 64

Loren Roberts had things rolling his way in the first round of the Buick Classic.

Roberts, the ``Boss of the Moss'' whose putting has carried him to seven PGA Tour titles, shot a 7-under 64 Thursday and took a one-stroke lead over Jerry Kelly, Michael Muehr and Bob Heintz.

``I just happened to have a great day with the putter,'' said Roberts, who will be 47 on June 24. ``I made an impossible chip on No. 17 and made a couple of long putts. I just got on a roll and hit it in the right spots.''

After playing the first four holes 1-over, he had nine birdies and a bogey in a 12-hole stretch on Westchester Country Club's tree-lined West Course. On 17, he holed a 20-yard lob after hitting his second shot over the green.

``I love this golf course,'' Roberts said. ``To be honest, I don't think we play enough courses like this. What I like about this style of course is that every player in the field has a chance. It's just not stand up there and rip it every hole.''

Chris Smith and David Gossett shot 66s, and Retief Goosen, preparing for his U.S. Open title defense next week at Bethpage State Park, was three strokes back at 67 along with Stewart Cink, Steve Elkington, Robert Allenby, Jim Carter, Pat Perez, John Rollins and Craig Parry.

Defending champion Sergio Garcia and two-winner Ernie Els were in a group at 68 that included Fred Couples, Tom Lehman and Memorial champion Jim Furyk. Phil Mickelson birdied the final two holes in light rain to salvage a 69. He had six birdies and four bogeys.

Roberts, winless since the 2000 Greater Milwaukee Open, matched his best round of the year three days after failing to qualify for the U.S. Open.

``There's been two Opens in the last 10 years I really wanted to play, Pebble Beach and this one,'' Roberts said. ``I'm sorry I'm not going to be there. But I'm here, so I'm going to try to win here.''

Kelly, who won his first tour title in January in Hawaii, played the three par-5s in 4-under. He holed a 15-foot eagle chip on 18 and added birdies on Nos. 6 and 9 -- part of a run of four birdies in his final five holes.

``It wasn't like a was striking it perfect, but I was getting it in the fairway off the tee,'' Kelly said. ``You can't shoot that kind of score from the rough.''

Heintz needed only 23 putts to match his best score of the year.

``I closed the putting green last night. I practiced until it was dark,'' Heintz said. ``Hopefully, this is not a one-day thing.''

The former Yale player's fast start helped make up for the disappointment of failing to earn a spot next week at Bethpage Black, the site of his three straight Ivy League titles in the early 1990s.

Muehr birdied five of the final six holes on the back nine en route to his best round of the season. After missing the cut last week in the Kemper Open, he won a 12-man playoff Tuesday in Maryland for a U.S. Open spot.

``I finished bogey-double bogey to get in that playoff,'' Muehr said. ``I almost didn't show up Tuesday. I just kind of went out with nothing to lose and stole that spot. That's the kind of thing that can turn your year around.''

Goosen is making his first U.S. start since winning the BellSouth Classic and finishing second in the Masters in consecutive weeks.

``I feel like I'm hitting the ball quite nicely,'' Goosen said. ``It's just a matter of getting some feel going and just getting a good rhythm going. Today, I did that.''

The South African star had seven birdies, but three-putted for bogeys onNos. 3 and 7 and dropped another shot on 16.

Divots

Vijay Singh, the 1993 and 1995 winner, opened with a 75. He had a double bogey, five bogeys and three birdies. ... David Duval shot a 72, with double bogeys on Nos. 11 and 16. The British Open champion tied for fourth two weeks ago in the Memorial, his first top-10 finish this year. ... Argentina's Angel Cabrera and Australia's Stephan Allan aced the 149-yard 6th, both using9-irons. Cabrera shot a 69, and Allan a 71.

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