Morgan takes opening advantage

Former champion Gil Morgan made a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole Thursday to cap an 8-under 64 that gave him a two-stroke lead after the first round at the Ford Senior Players Championship.

Five players, including Tom Kite and 2001 champion Allen Doyle, had 66s at a tame TPC of Michigan.

Days of rain leading up the start of the Champions Tour major left the greens soft and the Jack Nicklaus-designed course ripe for the picking.

"This course doesn't give up many good scores," said Kite, who played a bogey-free round. "Right now, it's playing fairly benign because of the rain you've had around this area."

Morgan tied Hale Irwin for the best opening round at the Ford Senior Players Championship, the third of five Champions Tour majors.

"I can't remember the last time I did something like that," Morgan, a licensed optometrist who won the event in 1998, said of his birdie-eagle-birdie finish.

On No. 17, his 7-wood from 220 yards landed 12 feet from the hole. His eagle putt followed a 5-footer for birdie on No. 16.

Morgan shot 30 on the back nine and made only one bogey the entire round.

Kite, who finished 10th the past two years, played the front nine in 1-under 35.

But he started quickly on the back nine, making birdies on 10 and 11.

After a solid drive off the tee at the par-5 13th, Kite hit a 5-wood within 5 feet. He converted the putt for an eagle, and later birdied 16.

Kite also said the lack of wind contributed to ideal course conditions.

"This golf course probably cannot play easier than it did today," he said. "I don't think I've ever played it when there was less wind out there than there was today, and at times, there was absolutely nothing."

Fred Gibson, Doug Tewell and Mike McCullough, who tied for second a year ago, also shot 66s.

Craig Stadler, a Champions Tour rookie, was in a group of five at 5 under.

"You get the ball in play, and the greens are soft enough that you can fire right at the hole," said Stadler, who had six birdies and bogeyed the par-3 fourth. "With short irons, you should make some birdies out there."

Stadler finished strong, making birdie putts at 17 and 18.

His second shot on the par-5 17th was a 3-iron within 5 feet. Stadler called it "probably the best iron I've hit in about five years."

He left the eagle putt short, but made the birdie. At 18, he made a 40-footer for birdie.

"Didn't necessarily drive the ball well, but just kind of kept it in play and hit a couple good irons ... and a putt that shouldn't have even thought about going in 18, but did," Stadler said.

Stadler, who always was one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour, played Thursday with Nicklaus and former Ryder Cup captain Ben Crenshaw. The trio enjoyed one of the largest fan followings of the first round.

Bruce Lietzke, who won the previous Champions Tour major -- the U.S. Senior Open two weeks ago -- shot a 2-under 70 on Thursday. Defending champion Stewart Ginn shot a 73.

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