GOLF HERITAGE TOURNAMENT : Sauers and Brown Are Tied for Lead

Gene Sauers, going for his second consecutive victory, birdied the final hole Thursday to pull into a tie with Billy Ray Brown for the first-round lead in the Heritage golf tournament.

Sauers and Brown each had six birdies and one bogey for 66s, a stroke ahead of Jeff Sluman and Steve Pate in the $1 million tournament at the par-71 Harbour Town Golf Links.

Masters champion Nick Faldo and Tom Kite are among a group of players 68.

“I felt it was going to be my day,” said Sauers, who won last week at Hattiesburg, Miss., his third PGA Tour victory.

Brown birdied Nos. 6 and 9 with putts of 25 and 10 feet and added three birdies on the back nine, the final one coming on No. 15. Brown has two top-five finishes this year.