Associated Press Writer
ALOHA, Ore. -- Fuzzy Zoeller had a 6-under 66, including three straight birdies to open the back nine, and held a one-stroke lead over Hale Irwin on Thursday in the opening round of the Jeld-Wen Tradition, the year's final major on the Champions Tour.
Five players -- Wayne Levi, Tom Kite, Tom Watson, Bruce Fleisher and Morris Hatalsky -- were another stroke back at 68.
Zoeller started his birdie run with a rifle-straight drive down the par-4, 479-yard 10th that set up a short approach along the creek that later proved to be trouble for defending champion Jim Thorpe, who had a 69.
Zoeller added birdies on 15 and 16, both par-5s, after barely breaking par on the front nine of the 7,200-yard Reserve Vineyards Golf Club.
He bogeyed No. 2, a 205-yard par-3 with a long, sloping green that rarely held the ball.
"Some people push the red button when they bogey one of the first couple of holes," Zoeller said. "But heck, I was just getting started."
Irwin had his own string of three birdies, beginning on 15, but said he was unhappy with his overall play.
"I hit some very, very poor shots out there, but fortunately I got away with them," said Irwin, whose back problems have limited his play.
Irwin, the winningest senior with 37 tour victories, said his back bothered him again Thursday despite steady improvement in his score through a round that did not include a bogey.
"I hit enough nice putts to salvage a very good round," Irwin said. "On paper it looked very good."
Thorpe had led most of the round, topping the leaderboard at 3 under after the front nine, including an eagle 2 on the 337-yard 5th after he lofted a wedge right at the pin.
Thorpe had gone to 6 under by No. 15 before dropping back with a bogey and double-bogey after finding the water on both 16 and 17.
Thorpe's ball splashed into the water after he just nicked the stone wall rising from the pond guarding the green at No. 16, but he had to drop about 170 yards back to approach again. On the following hole, his tee shot found one of the long creeks that run through the center of the course and he took another penalty stroke.
Jack Nicklaus, a four-time winner of the final major on the Champions Tour, finished at even-par 72.
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