Lowery shares lead in Connecticut

PGA Tour:  American Steve Lowery made the most of ideal conditions to hold a four-way share of the lead in the opening round at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.

Refreshed after a week's rest, Lowery fired a six-under-par 64 on a calm, warm day at the TPC River Highlands, finishing level with compatriots Johnson Wagner and Tour rookie Brad Adamonis, plus Britain's Brian Davis.
   
World number seven Justin Rose opened with a 65 to share fifth spot with South African Peter Karmis and Americans Ken Duke, Lucas Glover, John Huston, Tom Pernice junior and amateur Michael Thompson.
   
Australian Peter Lonard was a further stroke back among a group of 12 including Fijian Vijay Singh and Americans Kenny Perry, Chris DiMarco and 2006 champion JJ Henry.
   
Lowery, who clinched his first PGA Tour title in eight years at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February, rolled in a 50-foot birdie putt at the ninth to reach the turn in three-under 32.
   
He picked up further shots at the 12th, 13th and 14th, where he struck his wedge approach to four feet, to set the early pace before being caught by Wagner, Adamonis and Davis late in the day.
   
"The golf course is soft, so the drives are staying in the fairway and you can get the irons close," said Lowery after a round featuring seven birdies and one bogey.
   
"The challenge is obviously with the putting when you have soft greens, keeping the ball on line."

Lowery, 47, who missed five cuts in eight starts after his Pebble Beach triumph before tying for sixth at the Memorial tournament, said he had benefited from taking a week off.
   
"I was too tired, especially after Memphis, so was able to get some rest and come here a little bit fresher than I have been."
   
Wagner, who won his maiden PGA Tour title at the Houston Open in April, came close to holing out with a driver from 275 yards for a rare albatross on the par-four 15th.
   
"It landed right on the front edge on the up-slope and just stuck in there and trickled out to about a foot and a half for eagle," the 28-year-old said.
   
Of the other big names in the field, former PGA Championship winner David Toms returned a 67 and fellow American Hunter Mahan, who clinched last year's title at River Highlands in a playoff, carded a 68.

Collated first round scores in the USPGA Tour Travelers Championship, The TPC at River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut, United States

(USA unless stated, par 70):

64 Brian Davis (Eng), Brad Adamonis, Steve Lowery, Johnson Wagner

65 Michael Thompson, Justin Rose (Eng), Lucas Glover, Peter Karmis (Rsa), John
Huston, Ken Duke, Tom Pernice Jnr.

66 Billy Mayfair, Tag Ridings, Vijay Singh (Fij), Justin Bolli, Kent Jones, Tim
Herron, Chris DiMarco, Stewart Cink, Bubba Watson, Fred Funk, Peter Lonard
(Aus), Kenny Perry, Dustin Johnson, J J Henry, Kevin Stadler, Notah Begay III

67 Patrick Sheehan, Vaughn Taylor, David Toms, Kevin Sutherland, John
Mallinger, Heath Slocum, Bob Sowards, Webb Simpson, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl), Steve
Marino, Chad Campbell, Brett Quigley, Ryan Palmer, Jim McGovern, Craig Kanada,
Larry Mize, Briny Baird, Nicholas Thompson, Frank Lickliter II, Chris Stroud,
Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar, Jason null Day (Aus), Cameron Beckman, D.J. Trahan

68 Michael Letzig, Ben Curtis, Nick OHern (Aus), Kenneth Ferrie (Eng), James
Driscoll, Paul Claxton, Nathan Green (Aus), Bill Haas, Mark Brooks, Stuart
Appleby (Aus), Luke List, Dudley Hart, Scott McCarron, Andrew Buckle (Aus),
Jason Allred, Ted Purdy, Steve Allan (Aus), Brian Bateman, Brett Rumford (Aus),
Charlie Wi (Kor), Hunter Mahan, Jeff Maggert, Scott Sterling, Corey Pavin, Olin
Browne

69 David Lutterus (Rsa), Jeff Gove, Mark Hensby (Aus), Greg Kraft, Harrison
Frazar, Brenden Pappas (Rsa), Tommy Armour III, Francis Quinn, Bob Tway, Bob
Estes, Tim Petrovic, John Riegger, Shane Bertsch, Jerry Kelly, Charles Warren,
Richard Johnson (Wal), Eric Axley, Lee Janzen, Kevin Na (Kor), Billy Andrade,
Michael Allen, Len Mattiace, Ryan Armour, Jay Williamson, Marc Turnesa, Troy
Matteson, Ryan Moore

70 P H Horgan III, Jin Park (Kor), Omar Uresti, Joe Ogilvie, Cliff Kresge,
Steve Elkington (Aus), Y. E Yang (Kor), Richard S Johnson (Swe), John Rollins,
Martin Laird, Jon Mills (Can), Douglas Labelle, Tommy Gainey, Carl Pettersson
(Swe)

71 Jonathan Kaye, Steve Sokol, Robert Garrigus, Woody Austin, Mathias Gronberg
(Swe), Brent Geiberger, Brandt Jobe, Carlos Franco (Par), Jason Gore, Robert
Gamez

72 Rodney Pampling (Aus), Brad Elder, Jeff Overton, Kyle Thompson, J.P. Hayes,
Gavin Coles (Aus), Stephen Leaney (Aus), George McNeill, Chad Collins, Bo Van
Pelt, Jimmy Walker, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn), Bob Heintz

73 Paul Stankowski, Cody Freeman, Brian Gay, Todd Demsey, Matthew Jones (Aus),
Kevin Streelman, Ronald Whittaker, Travis Perkins (Sco), J.B. Holmes

74 Jose Coceres (Arg), Nick Flanagan (Aus)

75 Tom Scherrer, Joe Durant, Chez Reavie

80 Andrew Gruss