Mike Brisky had to return to qualifying school to get back on the PGA Tour. Now he wants to show he belongs.

Brisky, who has missed six cuts in in 14 previous tournaments this year, shot a 6-under-par 66 today for a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Western Open, sponsored by Motorola.

The 34-year-old Brisky got his round rolling with an eagle on the par-5 No. 5, made a big par save on the ninth and had three birdies on the back nine. He leads rookie Briny Baird, 1998 Western runner-up Vijay Singh, and veteran Hal Sutton by one stroke.

Tiger Woods was among four at 4-under and two shots back in the $2.5 million tournament on the 7,073-yard Dubsdread course at the Cog Hill Golf and Country Club.

Brisky, who tied for fourth in the 1996 Western Open, had to return to qualifying school after finishing three spots out of last year's top 125 money winners.

He had his best season in 1997, when he was 67th on the money list. He nearly won the 1995 Buick Open, losing on the first hole of a playoff to Woody Austin.

He tied for fourth last year in the Doral-Ryder Open and was tied for the lead after three rounds of the Deposit Guaranty before fading on the final day.

Since, he's been trying to rediscover his game and find that elusive first victory.

"It's been a long road over the last year and a half," Brisky said. "It's just been a rough time for me. I feel like I haven't been getting anything out of my game. I'm kind of humbled by it right now.

"When I walked off the final green at the end of last year, I was just so happy it was over, that the stress was gone.

"I just felt good about this year even though I had to go back through school. I just felt it was like a new beginning."

Until today, he's had little to feel good about.

Brisky said he tried not to watch the leaderboard but could hear some fans chanting encouragement to him and cameras clicking at his every move.

"I told my caddie on 11, 'Help me out here, I'm a little nervous, just keep my thoughts right.' I hadn't been in the limelight in a while," he said.

Baird, son of Senior PGA Tour player Butch Baird, has also struggled. In his previous 13 tournaments this year, he'd missed the cut eight times, his best finish a tie for 28th.

His luck is so bad that he even tore ligaments in his ankle earlier this year when he got out of bed one morning, jumped over a suitcase in his room and his ankle gave way.

His round today included an eagle, four birdies and a bogey when he three-putted the par-4 16th.

"I got a little nervous a couple of times. You know I'm getting into territory that's not real familiar for me," Baird said.

"You're pampered out here. You really are. Everything is done for you and you don't have to lift a finger. You get respect from people who normally wouldn't know or care who you were just when you walk around, just having that badge. People look at you in a different light, even though you're the same person."

Singh enters the Western off three straight top-five finishes and had no bogeys on a course that was hit by rain early in the morning before conditions cleared in the afternoon.

Defending champion Joe Durant shot a 1-over 73.

AP