Sluman leads after record round

Jeff Sluman shot a course-record nine-under-par 62 on Thursday to lead after the first round of the $5 million Chrysler Championship.

Sluman scattered nine birdies around the par-71 Westin Innisbrook Resort Copperhead Course and holds a two-shot lead over Jonathan Kaye, Kent Jones and Kirk Triplett.

World number one Vijay Singh, seeking to win his ninth title of the 2004 season and become the first player to win $10 million in a season, opened with a six-under 65, as did Britain's Justin Rose. Jonathan Byrd is alone at five-under 66.

"This is just kind of one of those days that that because you're playing so well, it just seems easy and you kind of wonder to yourself why in the world you can't do that more often because it seems so easy," said Sluman.

"Other days, making one or two birdies seems like it's going to be impossible."

Sluman, 47, is 79th on the PGA Tour money list and has an outside chance of finishing in the top 30 and earning an invitation to next week's season-finale Tour Championship.

In order to finish inside the top-30 he must take home the $900,000 winner's cheque. A top-40 finish on the money list would earn him an invitation to the 2005 Masters.

"I'm not coming in here goal-oriented in that respect," he said. "I think if I just go out and just keep playing solid golf, maybe something good will happen."

Singh, who is sitting on a record $9.8 million in prize money this year, said he felt there was little difference in his game this season than in previous years.

"Really I've only done the same thing, I'm just hitting a little bit better shots now and not making too many mistakes," Singh said.

"The ones that I do make mistakes, they are not as bad as the bad ones I used to do, so my bad is not that bad and my good is pretty good."

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