HONOLULU (January 14, 1999) Now that Tommy Tolles knows how close he came to losing his PGA Tour card, he's not about to give it up.

Tolles, who had to win $33,000 in the tour's final event last year to avoid going back to qualifying school, shot a businesslike 7-under-par 63 today to move two strokes ahead of the field after one round of the inaugural Sony Open.

"I played a lot more than I wanted last year," Tolles said of his start a year ago. But since assuring himself of being a tour regular in 1999, Tolles took time off the last few weeks to reassess his game.

"I feel mentally fresh," he said. "My finish at Disney (site of the National Car Rental Classic) was a good way to end the year. Those two months off after Disney were great for me in regards to getting my mind back in the game."

And, surprisingly, Tolles, who was among the top money-winners the two previous years, grabbed the lead in his first go-around at the toughened Waialae Country Club course.

After seven birdies on his first 14 holes, Tolles double bogeyed the 459-yard, par-4 No. 6 when he had to take a drop after knocking his shot against a fence.

No problem.

He followed the miscue with two of his longer birdie putts, from 25 and 20 feet, to distance himself from the field.

Tour rookie Notah Begay III and Esteban Toledo, one of the few afternoon starters to conquer the windy course, were two strokes behind at 6-under 65 with Masters and British Open winner Mark O'Meara, Joe Durant, Peter Jacobsen and Ty Armstrong, all late starters, joining Bob Burns, Fred Funk and Craig Barlow at 66.

PGA Championship winner Vijay Singh was among those another stroke behind.

Begay, a teammate of Tiger Woods at Stanford, is making only his second tour appearance in two years. He missed the cut in the 1996 Vancouver Open.

"I'm relieved to get the first start of '99 under my belt," he said. "Just to get the nerves and anxiety out."

He was 4-under through 12, bogeyed Nos. 13 and 14, then birdied the last three holes.

Conspicuously absent from the tournament, the first full-field event, were Woods and last year's leading money-winner, David Duval.

Toledo, meanwhile, intimated he would pull a Michael Jordan.

"It's always been a dream to play on the PGA Tour," he said. "To be able to play with the best in the world.

"But the day I win, I'll quit and go back to be with my family. My wife is pregnant and I've dedicated a lot of time to be with my wife and family."

John Huston, whose tour-record 28-under score a year ago prompted changes on the 7,060-yard oceanside course, topped the group at 68.

The changes at Waialae were reflected in the scores. After the first round of the Hawaiian Open last year, only 26 of the 144 players were over par. This time around, 98 were over par.

The course had a dramatic makeover after Huston demolished the tour record for 72 holes with a 28-under 260. For the Sony, par was lowered from 72 to 70 while the course was lengthened by 48 yards.

Last year, Waialae was the easiest course on the tour with a stroke average of 69.60.

O'Meara said the changes have made the course tougher.

"It's much more demanding," he said. "It's windy, too, so it's testy out there."