Cink takes easy way to lead at Colonial

Stewart Cink was swinging and thinking well during the first round of the Colonial. Combined with an uncharacteristic light breeze on a pristine course, the result was predictable.

"It almost feels like it's too easy to play," Cink said after shooting 6-under 64 Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.

Cink wasn't alone.

Only a stroke back at 65 were long-hitting Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, Arron Oberholser, Charley Hoffman and Stephen Ames, who briefly got to 7 under before running into trouble. Defending champion Kenny Perry was among a group of eight players at 66.

Of the 113 players who finished rounds Thursday, 47 were under par and another 19 shot 70.

Cink began his bogey-free round with three straight birdies and was already 5 under through eight holes. He then had a 10-foot birdie putt at the 408-yard No. 9 that lipped the cup, the same thing that happened on his 19-footer at the 433-yard closing hole.

"I gave myself a lot of chances for birdies. With no wind to speak of out there, club selection wasn't that challenging," Cink said. "If you're swinging well and thinking well, you will get a lot of shots close. And I did. ... I wish I could bottle this feeling."

The old-style Colonial course is a 7,054-yard layout that is virtually unchanged since it first hosted this tournament 60 years ago.

Unlike so many PGA Tour courses where golfers hit most tee shots as far as they can, many long hitters avoid Hogan's Alley. Tiger Woods played here only once, and John Daly missed the cut three times before he opened with an 80 in 1999, his last appearance, and withdrew.

LPGA Tour

Natalie Gulbis and Beth Bauer are sharing more than just a good friendship.

The two, who battled it out for LPGA rookie of the year honors in 2002, and Hee-Won Han were tied for the first-round lead at the Sybase Classic in New Rochelle, N.Y., with 3-under-par 68s.

The golfers attracting the most attention coming into the 72-hole event at the 6,227-yard Wykagyl Country Club course were both four shots behind the leaders.

Paula Creamer, who won this tournament last year four days before her high school graduation, and Annika Sorenstam, who missed the cut last week for the first time since 2002, had 1-over 72s.

-- The Associated Press