Colonial Is Pavin’s Place

Corey Pavin seems ready to end his five-year slump.

Pavin shot a six-under-par 64 Friday to take the lead in the Colonial at Fort Worth, where he is a two-time winner and last won a PGA event there in 1996.

“I never felt like my game was gone. I knew I just had to get it back on track,” the 41-year-old player said.

After his best PGA Tour round in two years, Pavin was at eight-under 132. He is a stroke ahead of Phil Mickelson, the defending champion and first-round co-leader, and Brett Quigley.

Pavin twice had three consecutive birdies--including the first three holes--and saved par out of the sand three times in a four-hole stretch. He matched the 64 he shot during the second round of Colonial two years ago.

Mickelson’s 68 included an uncharacteristic three-putt down the stretch. Quigley, who tied for second in Greensboro in the only tournament in which he has made the cut this year, birdied the final hole to wrap up a bogey-free 64.

Mickelson, who started on the back nine and played in one of the last groups of the day, had matched Pavin for the lead with three consecutive birdies midway through his round. But Mickelson missed a 30-inch par putt on the 192-yard eighth hole.

“The course played about as easy as it could have without any wind. Unfortunately, I couldn’t capitalize,” Mickelson said.

Rocco Mediate shot a career-best 62, one stroke off the course record and a 10-stroke improvement over his opening 72, to move to six-under 134.

Jim Furyk, who matched Mickelson with a 65 in the first round, followed with a 71 to fall four strokes off the lead.

Tiger Woods played an unspectacular 11 holes while New Zealand’s Michael Campbell built his lead to five strokes in the Deutsche Bank tournament at Heidelberg, Germany, before the second round was suspended because of darkness.

Campbell was at 14 under after also playing only 11 holes. Woods was five under for the tournament, putting him nine back.

Ed Dougherty, a pro since 1969 who only has one regular and one senior tour victory, shot a 10-under 62 to take the first-round lead in the TD Waterhouse Championship at Kansas City, Mo.

After heavy rain the day before, the seniors also were allowed to lift, clean and place their balls in the fairways.

Ted Goin was two strokes back at 64, followed by Argentina’s Vicente Fernandez and defending champion Dana Quigley, Brett’s uncle, at 65.

After a 2 1/2-hour suspension of play, the first round of the LPGA Champions Classic at Beavercreek, Ohio, was washed out by heavy rain and lightning.

The scheduled 54-hole event will be shortened to 36 holes, with no cut. All scores were erased, with the entire field starting fresh today.