Three share opening day honours

Jim Albus feels right at home in Hawaii, even though the island of Oahu is nothing like his native Staten Island.

Albus shot a 4-under 68 Friday that left him in a three-way tie for the lead after the first round of the Turtle Bay Championship.

"I love it here. I could move here," the New Yorker said. "My brother teaches at Kailua High School. He came over here 30 years ago to visit and he's never been home since. I guess that's common."

Steve Stull and R.W. Eaks also had 68s in warm and slightly breezy conditions at the Turtle Bay Resort's 7,044-yard oceanside Palmer Course.

Albus had a 33 at the turn, including three birdies, an eagle and double bogey. He sank a 50-yard pitch shot on the 530-yard, par-5 4th for the eagle.

"It's a good solid round for me," said Albus, 62, who hasn't won a Senior PGA Tour event since the 1998 GTE Classic. "I'd just like to play the same (during the weekend). I'd love to get in contention. I haven't been there for a while."

Stull, who is fifth on European Seniors Tour's money list and is making his fourth start this year on the Senior PGA Tour, had six birdies in a round that was nearly flawless until bogeys on the final two holes.

"The idea for me was to get through the front nine in a decent manner," he said. "I haven't done that very much."

Stull, who won the Tabago Plantations Seniors Classic and was tied for second at two other European Tour events this year, made 20-foot birdie putts on Nos. 2 and 5. He also chipped in for birdie from 40 feet on No. 15.

"It was windy when I won in Tobago, so that got me ready for Hawaii," he said.

Eaks closed with two birdies, giving him five in the round. His only bogey was when he three-putted from 18 feet on No. 14.

"I feel like I'm on vacation so my score is surprising," Eaks said.

Defending champion Hale Irwin was one stroke back with Gary McCord, Jose Maria Canizares, Mike Smith, Morris Hatalsky, Bruce Summerhays, Mark Pfeil and Rodger Davis.

The group at 70 included Don Pooley, Terry Mauney, Rik Massengale and Steve Veriato.

Bruce Fleisher shot a 73, snapping his streak of 27 straight subpar rounds. During the streak, which began July 12, he had one victory and six other top 10 finishes.

Bob Gilder, trying to catch Irwin in the money race, shot a 74. Irwin leads Fleisher by 790 points in the Charles Schwab Cup points race for a $1 million annuity.

Of the 78 players, 34 were at par or better after the first day.

The 54-hole, $1.5 million event is being played for the second time at Turtle Bay after 14 years on Maui.

The course, featuring 14 holes surrounded by water, is on the northernmost tip of Oahu. The beach-line area encompasses the North Shore, which includes the famed surfing areas of Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay and the Banzai Pipeline.

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