Forsman takes early advantage with 65

Dan Forsman, taking advantage of an early tee time on the windswept English Turn course, shot a 7-under-par 65 Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Compaq Classic.

``We started first, there was no doubt that was a definite advantage because there was still some moisture on the ground,'' Forsman said. ``I think the big difference this afternoon is that (the greens) are so hard and baked that it's treacherous around the hole. And when the wind blows, there is so little friction on the grass that the ball could literally waver and be blown off.''

Rich Beem opened with a 67, Stewart Cink and Dudley Hart topped a group at 68, and defending champion David Toms shot a 69.

Forsman, who won the last of his four PGA Tour titles in 1992, backed off three times because of the wind before sinking a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18, worried that the wind would steer it off course. But it was his putting, with only 24 putts on the day, that gave Forsman the lead.

``I haven't had a 24-putt round in quite some time,'' Forsman said. ``But I've been working hard on my putting.''

Beem, who teed off an hour after Forsman, shot a 29 on his first nine, then ran into the wind and had a 38 on the last nine.

``It's my lowest nine in competition,'' Beem said. ``I've probably shot it out messing around with my buddies, but certainly not in competition.''

Temperatures were in the high 80s and the wind gusted over 27-mph throughout the day. There were 466 birdies, 530 bogeys and 58 double bogeys on the 7,116-yard Jack Nicklaus-designed course.

Craig Perks, who won The Players Championship, hit three balls into the water on No. 15, the island hole, then sank a 25-foot putt for a 9. He finished at 76.

``You really couldn't keep the ball on the greens with the winds blowing as they were and the greens so hard,'' Perks said.

Phil Mickelson, who finished second last year, shot a 73.

``In the past the greens have always been pretty receptive,'' Mickelson said. ``When you get the pins in little corners you could go at it and make some birdies. Today with the wind, you couldn't even go at the corners.''

Cink made the strongest run of the players teeing off late in the day. Cink followed up two birdies on the front nine with birdies on four of the first six holes on the back nine before finishing with bogeys on 17 and 18 for a 68.

No one has led a tournament wire-to-wire this year, and only two first-round leaders have won tournaments -- Jerry Kelly at the Sony Open and Tiger Woods at the Bay Hill Invitational.

``Obviously I have a lot of work ahead of me,'' Forsman said. ``There's some great players in the field and I'm sure we will see some good scores out there.''

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