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Janzen & Jones share opening honours

Lee Janzen and Steve Jones won U.S. Opens by grinding their way through the toughest of conditions. Both showed Wednesday they can play a bit on easy courses, too.

Janzen, trying to win for the first time since the 1998 U.S. Open, made 10 birdies on his way to a 9-under 63 in the first round of the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas.

Jones, meanwhile, was also at 9-under after a bogeyless 62 on the par-71 TPC Canyons course.

"If you're making pars out here you better go home," Jones said.

Janzen shared more than just the lead and some U.S. Open history with Jones, who is also winless since 1998. Both now have some hope that their winless droughts may be over.

"In 1995 if someone had said you're going to win only once more over the next seven years I wouldn't have believed it," Janzen said.

Encouraged by several months of ball-striking he believes is his best ever, Janzen shook off a missed 2-footer for birdie on No. 9 for a back-nine 30.

He has four more rounds to go on the marathon 90-hole tournament, but also has more confidence in how he'll play them.

"It's just a matter of getting the right attitude back on the course to win again. I think I'm headed back in that direction," Janzen said.

Ironically, Janzen shot his low round of the year while trying to play conservatively on the TPC Summerlin course.

"It's easy to press because you think you have to shoot 63 every day," Janzen said. "I make more birdies now that I play more conservative if you can believe that. If I just stay from gambling on too many holes I do well."

On a warm and windless day made for scoring, Janzen finished off his round with a 5-footer for birdie on 18 to get to the top of a scoreboard crowded with red numbers.

It might have been even better if not for a few missed short putts, including the 2-footer on 9. Janzen promptly followed that with birdies on 10 and 11 to get his round going again.

"I didn't want to let that ruin my round," Janzen said.

Jones also had one hole he had to overcome. He had to make a 20-footer for par on 10, one of "10 or 11 one-putts" he had on the day.

"That was a big momentum boost there," Jones said.

Beem used the same 7-wood he made eagle with to beat Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship for another eagle in his 64.

Beem hit the 7-wood to 20 feet on the par-5 13th for the first of two back-nine eagles. He finished his round by pitching in from 67 yards for another eagle.

The stakes weren't quite as high as the 7-wood he hit for an eagle on No. 11 that final day to win the PGA Championship, but Beem was just as pleased with both the shot and the club.

"That's one of the few clubs that will never come out of the bag," Beem said.

Looking for a third win to cap off a spectacular breakthrough year, Beem finished off his round with a flourish by pitching in from 67 yards for an eagle on 18 at Southern Highlands Country Club.

Beem, playing in his fourth event since winning the PGA, is fifth on the money list with $2.83 million. He would add another $900,000 to that if he can keep up his play over a marathon tournament that goes 90 holes over three courses.

Beem's best finish since winning the International and then following it with the PGA was a sixth in the NEC Invitational. He admitted having some trouble adjusting to the demands placed on a major championship winner.

"I'm still a little tired from everything but slowly and surely I'm catching up on my sleep," he said.

Lewis, whose only win came in the 1999 John Deere Classic, shot his 64 at the TPC Summerlin course, where the final two weekend rounds will be held.

The 64 may have looked impressive, but Lewis said the course was playing easy because all the par-5s were reachable in two and the greens were nearly perfect.

"Average is about 4 under here if the wind doesn't blow," Lewis said. "You should be able to get it around in that if you don't make any big mistakes."

Chris Riley, who played at UNLV and lives on the TPC Summerlin course, was in contention after a 65 that included a 29 on his back nine.

Riley, who contended in the PGA Championship before winning the next week at the Reno-Tahoe Open, had a 65 after opening with an even-par 36 on his front nine. won $2 million Monday night playing high limit slot machines, only to lose back all but $400,000 of it. ... The 492-yard 3rd hole at TPC Summerlin is listed as a par-5, but the hole plays little more than a tough par-4, with players averaging 4.049. ... This is the last year the tournament will be called the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas. Invensys will no longer sponsor the tournament, which so far has been unable to find a title sponsor to replace it.

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