Allen tops leaderboard with 64

A composite of Tucson Open champions might resemble Michael Allen -- talented but unsuccessful on the PGA Tour, always balanced on the edge of an annual trip to the qualifying school, hungry for that first victory.

In a tournament that produces a first-time winner on the average of once every five years, Allen became a candidate Thursday by shooting an 8-under-par 64 that gave him a one-shot lead over Fred Funk, Loren Roberts and Brandel Chamblee after one round.

``I think they're all spoiled out here,'' said Allen, who worked in medical sales, home construction and as a club pro after dropping off the PGA Tour following the 1995 season.

``I want to be spoiled, too.''

He sharpened his game last year, qualified for the U.S. Open and tied for 12th, pocketing $91,734 in a one-tournament season that was his biggest year since he finished a career-best third in Tucson and Phoenix in 1993.

``That was a big tournament for me,'' Allen said. ``I made money. That helps. The main thing is all of the things I have been working on the last year paid off. They were working when I needed them to, and that said to me that I'm doing the right things.''

Andrew Magee, the 1994 winner at Tucson National, was two strokes back along with David Berganio Jr., John Huston and Bob Heintz. Russ Cochran, Len Mattiace, David Peoples, Bob Tway, David Gossett, Spike McRoy, Jerry Smith, Paul Goydos, Miguel Angel Jimenez and 1996 U.S. Open winner Steve Jones were bunched at 67.

The group of 15 at 68 included Gary Nicklaus, whose Hall of Fame father followed him around the 7,109-yard course as a spectator.

Defending champion Garrett Willis, who won last year's event in his first start as a PGA Tour member, shot a 71, and 2000 champion Jim Carter carded a 72.

``It's not a good idea to look at the leaderboard of a tournament on the first day,'' Roberts said. ``We'll see what happens Sunday afternoon.''

Eleven golfers have earned their first titles in the tournament's 55-year history, including two straight in Carter and Willis.

The odds on there being a No. 12 in the $3 million event, sponsored by Touchstone Energy, increased when the PGA Tour moved Tucson from a slot in mid-January to its more familiar late-February spot on the schedule -- and into conflict with the Match Play Championship.

``I wish I was ranked higher and could be in the Match Play,'' said the hard-working Funk, who believes the world rankings are slanted toward golfers who play less than 30 times a year. ``But at the same time it's great to have a tournament opposite that we can go to and play.''

With the world's best in Carlsbad, Calif., for the Match Play, the 144-player Tucson field was watered down and takes in some of the tour's fringe performers.

But it wasn't apparent from the leaders' scorecards.

Allen birdied the second hole from 4 feet after a chip, then had birdie putts of 20, 4 and 30 feet on Nos. 7-9.

He got even hotter late in the round, sinking four consecutive birdies in a run that ended at No. 16, where he knocked a 9-iron within 3 feet and sank the putt.

Funk also had a problem-free round, making six straight pars after reaching 2 under by No. 3 and then birdieing five holes after the turn.

Roberts, a hot-cold player who set records in four of the seven tournaments he's won, made the shot of the day -- a 35-foot birdie chip out of the intermediate rough behind the green on No. 6.

It was the second of his eight birdies. Roberts lost his chance to share the lead when he three-putted for a bogey-4 on the 186-yard 17th hole, but recovered by sinking a 6-foot birdie putt at the finish.

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