Furyk leaves major rivals in shade
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Weir couldn't match Furyk when it came to putting
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KAUAI, Hawaii -- U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk made good use of a hot putter to charge into a five-stroke lead with a five-under 67 in the first round of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
Furyk opened up a sizeable advantage over U.S. Masters champion Mike Weir of Canada, who returned 72 in the 36-hole event for this season's four major winners.
British Open champion Ben Curtis carded a one-over-par 73 while U.S. PGA winner Shaun Micheel laboured to a 75.
Furyk's touch on the greens was particularly deadly on the back nine where he took only 12 putts.
"It seems like on the front nine, I missed my share (of putts)," he told reporters after a round containing six birdies and one bogey.
"On the back nine, I definitely made more than my share.
"I had a hard time early on getting the ball in the hole and missing putts but I made up for it on the back nine where I really made a bunch of putts, a bunch of 15-footers, some birdies and saved some pars."
The four players came up against wet and windy conditions at the 7,081-yard Poipu Bay course on the south shore of Kauai.
