Els & Furyk share first day honours

Ernie Els and Jim Furyk took different routes but both shot nine-under-par 64s for a share of the lead after the opening round of the Mercedes Championship Thursday.

One shot back of the leaders at eight-under are Jerry Kelly, Chris Riley and Gene Sauers, with Japan's Shigeki Maruyama and Bob Estes lurking two shots further behind.

Els, playing his eighth Mercedes Championship, knew the conditions were ripe for scoring, but could not get going early in his round, making par on each of the first four holes.

"We better get going early this time," the world number three said he told his caddie. "I don't know if we're going to have another day like this."

The South African finally got moving when he made an eagle from eight feet on the par-five fifth and followed that up with back-to-back birdies to take him from even par to four-under in three holes.

On the next hole, the par-three eighth, Els hit a wayward six-iron that found the hazard -- a canyon -- on the left side, stopping his under-par run with a double bogey.

That moved Els down the leaderboard and left him with quite a few players to pass if he wanted to return.

"I wanted to hit a little drifter, just hung on to it left," Els said of his tee shot. "It was just a mental error."

Els atoned for his miscue with a birdie on the par-five ninth, but missed opportunities at both the short par-four 10th and par-three 11th and remained at three-under through 11 holes.

"I was bordering on the edge of getting a little frustrated because I had a good start," Els said of his mood on the 12th tee.

He then hit a good tee shot on the 12th, but his wedge approach went 12 feet past the hole.

He dropped the birdie putt to begin a run that included five birdies and one eagle over the last seven holes.

"I felt good after that," Els said of the birdie on the 12th. "I felt a bit more relaxed after that. I didn't feel like I needed to push."

Furyk, the 11th-ranked player in the world and the only player in the field to participate in all five Mercedes Championships at Kapalua, used his knowledge of the course to get out to a fast start and coasted in with one of only six bogey-free rounds of the day.

"I know the course plenty well, whether I play her in the off-season or not," said Furyk, who owns a holiday home on the course.

"I've played enough tournaments and seen enough conditions that I know the course well."

Furyk's familiarity with the Plantation Course was evident early when he recorded three birdies and an eagle to shoot a 31, the best front-nine score of the day.

The back nine was almost as good, with four birdies, including a 40-foot putt on the 17th that tied him with Els.

"The wind laid down for us today, made it possible to go out there and shoot low scores," Furyk said.

With length an issue on the 7,263-yard par-73 course, Furyk credited his putting as the difference in his round.

"I gave myself some opportunities with the irons, but also did make a few 15- and 20-footers," Furyk said.

"Which always helps, but the putting was the key."

With the weather forecast for Friday's second round similar to Thursday's benign conditions, scores should be low again before strong winds expected at the weekend will make the course tougher.

Furyk said he is ready for whatever the weather conditions might be.

"Right now, at this stage of the tournament, I'll take what tomorrow gives me and go out and play the best I can."

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