Hunter Haas takes opening round honours

American Hunter Haas fired a flawless nine-under-par 63 to grab the first-round lead in the Funai Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida on Thursday.

World number one Tiger Woods, twice a winner of the event, was five strokes off the pace on 68.

Haas, one of several players battling to make the top 125 on the PGA Tour money-list to secure his card for next season, made birdies on five of his opening seven holes.

He finished one shot clear of compatriots Mark Calcavecchia, Steve Lowery, Ryan Moore, JJ Henry, Pat Perez and Australia's Geoff Ogilvy.

The top seven all played at the Palm Course, the easier of the two layouts being used at the $4.4 million tournament.

Despite his fine start, a weary Haas was not counting on a high finish at the end of the week, saying he was prepared to go back to qualifying school.

"I've already sent my Q-school entry in," said Haas, who is 166th on the money-list.

"I've been grinding too much, I'm just ready to take it easy. It's been too long a year," he told reporters.

"If I win here great, whatever happens let it happen. It doesn't bother me anymore."

Perez, Calcavecchia, winner of the Canadian Open last month, and Lowery, who eagled the two par-fives on his outward nine, also enjoyed error-free starts.

Moore, attempting to become the first rookie since Woods to secure his tour card without going to qualifying school, mixed an eagle and seven birdies with one bogey.

"I got some things to go my way, hit a few shots, made a few putts, there you go," said Moore, who turned professional after the U.S. Open in June.

"But I've still got to go out there tomorrow and shoot a good round."

Henry's scorecard also included a single blemish, with one bogey mixed with two eagles and five birdies.

Ogilvy's eight-under 64 contained one eagle, seven birdies and one bogey.

Three-times major winner Nick Price of Zimbabwe, who has not made a cut since finishing in a tie for ninth at the U.S. Open, led a group of seven players on 65.

Playing on the tougher Magnolia course, world number two Vijay Singh, the Disney champion in 2003 and runner-up last year, signed for a three-under 69.

World number four Retief Goosen of South Africa, back in action after being forced out of last week's WGC-American Express Championship with a groin injury, recorded a 71 at Magnolia.

Scoring conditions could get extremely tough over the next few days with Hurricane Wilma bearing down on the Florida coast.

63 Hunter Haas

64 Ryan Moore, Pat Perez, Mark Calcavecchia, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Steve Lowery, J J Henry

65 Notah Begay III, Rich Beem, Tom Lehman, Charles Howell III, Jason Gore, Nick Price (Zim)

66 Bo Van Pelt, Daniel Chopra (Swe), Kent Jones, D.A. Points, Tommy Armour III, Tom Gillis

67 Robert Gamez, Jerry Kelly, Mark Wilson, Peter Jacobsen, Kevin Na (Kor), Bart Bryant, Heath Slocum, Roland Thatcher, Sean O'Hair, Len Mattiace, Brendan Jones (Aus), Bob Heintz, Marco Dawson, Jeff Brehaut, Ryan Palmer, Brad Bryant

68 Tim Petrovic, Brian Gay, Jason Bohn, Hidemichi Tanaka (Jpn), Duffy Waldorf, Scott McCarron, Jeff Maggert, Joey Snyder III, Dennis Paulson, Hunter Mahan, Tiger Woods, Todd Fischer

69 Wes Short jr., John Huston, James Driscoll, David Hearn (Can), Olin Browne, Omar Uresti

70 D.J. Trahan, Tag Ridings, Paul Azinger, Paul Claxton, Neal Lancaster, Carlos Franco (Par)

71 Franklin Langham, Bob Burns, Phillip Price (Wal), Jose Coceres (Arg), Michael Allen

72 Kevin Sutherland

73 Fred Couples, Paul Gow (Aus), Alex Cejka (Ger), Scott Hend (Aus), Doug Barron

75 Patrick Sheehan, Brent Geiberger

Magnolia Course

(USA unless stated, par 72):

65 Robert Damron

66 Tim Clark (Rsa), Carl Pettersson (Swe)

67 Justin Rose (Eng), Tom Pernice Jnr., Harrison Frazar, Brett Quigley, Brett Wetterich

68 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Stephen Leaney (Aus), Lucas Glover, J.P. Hayes, Dudley Hart, Rocco Mediate

69 Brandt Jobe, Tim Herron, Steve Allan (Aus), Jeff Sluman, Bob Estes, Dean Wilson, Stewart Cink, Stuart Appleby (Aus), Greg Owen (Eng), Vijay Singh (Fij), John Senden (Aus)

70 Vaughn Taylor, Tom Byrum, Darron Stiles, Peter Lonard (Aus), Scott Gutschewski, John Rollins, Scott Verplank, Kirk Triplett, Gavin Coles (Aus), Bob Sowards, Charles Warren

71 Ryuji Imada (Jpn), Retief Goosen (Rsa), Woody Austin, Nick Watney, Briny Baird, Craig Barlow, Joe Durant

72 Kevin Stadler, Tjaart Van der Walt (Rsa), Michael Long (Nzl), Chris Riley, Andrew Magee, Craig Perks (Nzl), Brian Davis (Eng), Trevor Immelman (Rsa)

73 Joey Sindelar, Chris Smith, Bob Tway, Christopher Anderson, Matt Gogel, Chris DiMarco, DJ Brigman, Skip Kendall, Hank Kuehne, Brian Bateman, Will MacKenzie

74 J.L. Lewis, Mark O'Meara, Ben Curtis, Lee Janzen, Cameron Beckman

75 Jim Garrison, Frank Lickliter II, John Cook, Steve Flesch, Mark Brooks

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