San Antonio, Sept 26: Golfers Bob Tway and Heath Slocum took the lead in the opening round of the Texas Open. Bob Tway and Heath Slocum both fired nine-under-par 61s to share the lead after the first round of the $3.5 million U.S. dollar Texas Open on Thursday (September 25). Tway and Slocum led by one shot from Australian Aaron Baddeley. Tom Byrum, Cameron Beckman, Cliff Kresge and South African Rory Sabbatini were tied for fourth place on 63.
Defending champion Loren Roberts was among a group of five players on six-under 64. Tommy Armour III, Dan Forsman, John Huston and Duffy Waldorf were on the same mark. Slocum, 29, without a win on the PGA Tour, went out in a five-under 30 and added four more birdies on the back nine at LaCantera Golf Club's Resort course to shoot the lowest round of his professional career.



Tway, 44, who won the Canadian Open earlier this season, went on a birdie blitz with seven in a row between holes six and 12. He also had birdies at the 14th, 16th and 18th but dropped a stroke at the par-four 15th.


Leading scores after the first round of the $3.5 million U.S. dollar Texas Open at LaCantera Golf Club's Resort course (par 70, 6,881 yards) on Thursday (Septemebr 25) (U.S. unless stated): 61 Bob Tway, Heath Slocum 62 Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 63 Tom Byrum, Cameron Beckman, Rory Sabbatini (South Africa), Cliff Kresge 64 Tommy Armour III, Dan Forsman, John Huston, Duffy Waldorf, Loren Roberts 65 Stewart Cink, Tim Clark (South Africa), David Peoples, Luke Donald (Britain), Charles Howell III, Rod Pampling (Australia), Glen Hnatiuk (Canada), Paul Goydos, Jason Gore, Blaine McCallister, JL Lewis, Robert Gamez, David Frost (South Africa), Neal Lancaster


Other international players: 66 Richard S Johnson (Sweden), Scott Laycock (Australia) 67 KJ Choi (South Korea), Jose Coceres (Argentina), John Senden (Australia), Grant Waite (New Zealand), Jesper Parnevik (Sweden), Ian Leggatt (Canada), Akio Sadakata (Japan) 68 Sergio Garcia (Spain), Per-Ulrik Johansson (Sweden), Peter Lonard (Australia) 69 Carlos Franco (Paraquay), Craig Perks (New Zealand), Kaname Yokoo (Japan), Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 70 Esteban Toledo (Mexico), Gavin Coles (Australia), Paul Gow (Australia) 71 Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 72 Steve Allan (Australia), Brenden Pappas (South Africa), Ignacio Garrido (Spain), Kenichi Kuboya (Japan) 74 Steven Alker (New Zealand), Anthony Painter (Australia) 76 John E Morgan (Britain) WD -- Alex Cejka (Germany), Deane Pappas (South Africa)


Bureau Report