Lee Janzen didn't want to shoot a 65, at least not now and not here.

Jumping his own schedule by two weeks, the defending U.S. Open champion almost reluctantly grabbed a two-stroke lead in today's opening round of the Memorial Tournament.

Janzen had hoped to work on his game at Muirfield Village Golf Club, massaging his swing into shape just in time to make a run at a third Open title.

"I want to be this far away," he said, holding his thumb and forefinger apart by the width of a golf ball, "when I get to the tee two weeks from now on Thursday at Pinehurst. I want to be one inch away. I don't want to be there before then.''

On Wednesday, Janzen said the fast greens at Muirfield Village Golf Club, made even faster by a rare stretch of dry weather and high wind, would get him ready for the challenges presented by the Open.

Still, he said the 65 didn't mean he was back to the form that won him the 1993 Open at Baltusrol or last year's duel down the stretch at The Olympic Club with Payne Stewart.

"I'm only a fourth of the way through. I think it's a good start," he said. "I don't think it's too much to get excited about yet."

Seldom encountering trouble and taking advantage of most of his birdie possibilities, he made the turn in 5-under 31 to grab sole possession of the lead. Birdies at Nos. 10 and 11 pushed his advantage to three shots. He added another birdie at the par-5 15th.

The only blot on his day was a bogey on the final hole that prevented him matching the tournament's first-round record. He failed to get up and down from in front of the green.

"My whole idea was to try to land the ball between the bunker and the pin," Janzen said. "There's only about five steps there. That was probably my mistake right there. I didn't give myself room for error."

Nineteen-year-old Spanish phenom Sergio Garcia, Frank Nobilo and local favorite Chris Perry shared second place at 5-under 67.

Making only his second appearance as a pro in the United States, Garcia also bogeyed the closing hole.

"Today was a great day," Garcia said. "I'm feeling very comfortable in this country."

Nobilo, who also bogeyed the final hole after flying the green with his approach, slam-dunked a 95-yard lob wedge for an eagle at the par-4 14th.

"I'm ecstatic," said Nobilo, who has battled a variety of quirky injuries and illness over the last year, from cut big toe and a broken tooth on the same night to an arthritic condition and an ugly gash from being hit by an errant drive. "I probably only hit two bad shots all day. Tee to green, that's about as well as I've played."

Perry is an Ohio State product who has said winning at Muirfield Village, a few miles from his home in neighboring Powell, is one of his career goals. The son of former major-league pitcher Jim Perry and nephew of Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry started his day with three consecutive birdies and didn't have a bogey.

"There's a little added pressure playing at home for anybody," he said. "But I just try to concentrate on what I'm doing. It's just nice to hear, 'Go Bucks!' and some cheering."

Tiger Woods had five birdies and a bogey to lead the group at 4-under 68. Joining him were 1997 Open winner Justin Leonard, reigning PGA champion Vijay Singh and 37-year-old journeyman Dennis Paulson.

Another two-time U.S. Open champion, Ernie Els, was joined at 69 by Phil Mickelson, Billy Andrade, Stuart Appleby, Stewart Cink, Steve Stricker and Kyoung Ju Choi.

Defending champion Fred Couples was at 71 and the world's top-ranked player, David Duval, finished at 72 after a round featuring five birdies and five bogeys. Tournament founder, course designer and native son Jack Nicklaus, cheered by large crowds as he continued to test his hip replacement, shot a 74.

AP