Purtzer Swings Into Lead : Golf: Former L.A. Open winner shoots 64 for two-shot advantage after first round at Riviera.

It’s difficult to imagine that Tom Purtzer has ever had a problem with his golf swing.

After all, it was only a couple of years ago that his peers voted his swing “the sweetest” on the PGA Tour.

It looked as sweet as ever Thursday at Riviera Country Club, where he shot a seven-under-par 64 for the first-round lead in the $1-million Nissan Los Angeles Open.

He holds a two-stroke edge over Chip Beck and Jesper Parnevik of Sweden. Fred Couples birdied the last hole and finished another stroke behind at 67, along with Corey Pavin, Jay Delsing, David Frost, Fuzzy Zoeller and Nolan Henke.

On a cool day with a gentle breeze, most of the low scores came during the morning rounds when the greens were soft and free of spike marks.

Jack Nicklaus, an afternoon starter playing Riviera for the first time since 1985, was back in the pack at 73.

Defending champion Tom Kite also had problems in the afternoon and shot a 72.

“It was really difficult making four- and five-foot putts in the afternoon,” said Couples, who started on the back nine and was three under par after a birdie-eagle start. “The greens were extremely bumpy, but it’s going to be that way for the leaders, who have to play it in the afternoon (today).”

Purtzer was among the early players, but he didn’t really take full advantage of the smooth greens. He hit his irons close enough to make seven birdies, but it could have been better. He missed a three-foot putt at the 10th hole and eight-foot putts on 17 and 18.

Not that he’s complaining. It has been a while since Purtzer has played this well.

Purtzer, 42, is beginning his 20th year on the PGA Tour and has not won since the World Series of Golf in 1991. That was also the year he finished fourth on the money list and was looking forward to bigger and better things.

But he had back problems the next year and tried to change his swing to ease the pain.

“I don’t really like to make excuses, because everybody out here plays with some kind of injury,” Purtzer said. “I tried to compensate for it, and it just made things worse.”

He slumped to 93rd on the money list in 1992, then to 136th last year.

“My real problem was in not understanding what I was supposed to be doing,” he said. “Instead of turning my hips, I was sliding them and hitting a lot of shots to the right, or pulling them left. I was hitting some shots I had never seen before.

“It really was bothering me because the problems started after such a great year in ’91. I was really looking forward to ’92. I was so full of confidence, but when things started going wrong, it was a real setback.”

He was also beginning to doubt his ability.

“The mental part of this game is everything,” he said. “It’s the difference between a top-10 player and someone who’s 60th on the list. The top 10 players can talk themselves into good shots.”

All Purtzer was doing was talking himself out of a career.

Watching video of himself did little to help, but he studied still photographs of his swing during the Phoenix Open last month and they revealed the flaw.

The hips started turning, shots started flying in the right direction and his scores started coming down. He shot a 68 in the first round at Phoenix and finished 39th. Although he missed the cut at Pebble Beach last week, he kept working on what he knew was right.

“I haven’t hit the ball this well in four or five years,” Purtzer said. “This is the kind of round I needed to turn this thing around.”

It helps that he’s at Riviera, where he won his first tournament in 1977.

“I can remember every shot I hit that year,” Purtzer said. “It’s fun to reflect on it. I remember how scared I was on the first tee in the final round. It was the most scared I have ever been, standing on the first tee with with a million people out there.”

Purtzer wouldn’t mind having that feeling again Sunday. But if not, he’s at least satisfied with knowing he has that sweet swing under control again.

L.A. Open Scores

LEADERS

Tom Purtzer 32-32--64

Chip Beck 34-32--66

Jesper Parnevik 33-33--66

Fuzzy Zoeller 34-33--67

Fred Couples 35-32--67

Jay Delsing 31-36--67

David Frost 32-35--67

Corey Pavin 35-32--67

Nolan Henke 34-33--67

Six are tied at 68

OTHERS

Craig Stadler 34-34--68

Tom Watson 34-35--69

Payne Stewart 34-36--70

Tom Kite 37-35--72

Jack Nicklaus 36-37--73

Lanny Wadkins 37-37--74

Ted Oh 37-38--75