Scottsdale, AZ (My Sportsbook) - Curt Byrum opened with a six-under 65 Tuesday to share the lead after the first round of the Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament.
Byrum was joined atop the leaderboard on the Champions Course at TPC Scottsdale by John Ross, Terry Burke and Lu Chien Soon.
R.W. Eaks, four-time winner on the Champions Tour, leads a group of four players tied at minus-five. He was joined there by Steve Haskins, Steve Thomas and Fred Holton.
Byrum started on the back nine and birdied 10 and 13. He then ran off three straight birdies from the 15th jump to five-under. After four straight pars around the turn, Byrum birdied the fourth.
The 50-year-old, who spent much of last year as a television commentator for the Golf Channel, slid back to minus-four after bogeys on six and eight. However, Byrum jumped into a share of the lead with an eagle on the par-five ninth, his last.
Ross traded a birdie for a bogey from the first, then carded then birdied three in a row from the fourth. Around the turn, birdies on 10, 15 and 17 gave Ross a piece of the lead.
Buckle collected three birdies on the back nine, his opening nine. After a birdie on the first, he stumbled to a double-bogey on the par-four second. Burke rebounded with an eagle on the fourth before birdies on five and nine got him to minus-six.
Soon also started on No. 10 and made eagle on his opening hole to quickly get into red figures. He notched back-to-back birdies from the 16th to turn in minus-four. After four consecutive pars, Soon birdied the fourth before tripping to a bogey on five.
He birdied the sixth and seventh to get to minus-six, but stumbled to a bogey on the par-three eighth. Soon closed with a birdie to forge a four-way tie for the lead after one round.
Joe Ozaki, Bruce Vaughan and Jack Ferenz share ninth place at four-under 67.
Jay Don Blake, David Peoples, Keith Clearwater, Robin Freeman, Gary Hallberg, Peter Senior, Chris Starkjohann, Ron Streck, Michael Turner, Jim Roy and Pat Thompson are one stroke back at minus-three.
