Kevin Stadler sets openig day pace

Kevin Stadler, the son of 1982 U.S. Masters champion Craig, produced a birdie-eagle finish to snatch the first-round lead on eight-under-par 64 at the $4.5 million Buick Invitational on Thursday.

Stadler, who played the easier North course at Torrey Pines, was one stroke clear of Ted Purdy and Sweden's Jesper Parnevik. Two shots back on 66 were Kevin Sutherland, Sweden's Mathias Gronberg, Craig Barlow, Bob Tway and Tom Lehman.

While all the leaders and world number two Vijay Singh played the North course, defending champion Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were in action on the more difficult South. Woods and Singh hit one-under-par 71s while Mickelson struggled to a 74.

World number one Woods is fresh from a four-week break.

"I am just trying to get back in the competitive flow," he told reporters. "It took a few holes to get back into it and, from there, trying to basically keep myself out of trouble.

"This golf course can definitely put you in a pretty good hurt and could put you behind.

"Everyone is tearing apart the North, so I need to do that tomorrow."

The North course played nearly four strokes easier than the South. Both are par 72s.

Stadler, 24, is playing in only his fourth PGA Tour event. Last week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, he made his first cut and tied for 61st place.

"I played well the first few rounds and didn't get anything going," Stadler said of his display at Pebble Beach.

"I was pretty flat on Sunday. Knowing that I can compete a little bit out here helped calm me down a little bit."

Thursday's one-eagle and seven-birdie 64 was a far cry from his closing 77 at Pebble Beach.

"I've been playing well but I would never have dreamed of this today," Stadler said.

Kevin's father Craig, a 13-times PGA Tour winner, triumphed at the Buick Invitational in 1994.

One of Stadler's closest pursuers on Thursday was the back-to-form Parnevik.

After a dismal two years when he had little idea where his ball was going, Parnevik has turned his game around.

In 2002 and 2003, the Swede recorded only three top-10 finishes in 57 events. This year he has made all four cuts and recorded two top-10s.

"It's good to see the hard work I put in at the end of the year and the off-season is paying off because sometimes you don't know if you're working on the right things," Parnevik said.

"Right now it seems like I've got it back to where I want to be here."

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