Golf: Damp course aids Couples and Price who fire six-under 66s

CHARLOTTE - Fred Couples and Nick Price each posted six-under 66s at the Wachovia Championship yesterday on a Quail Hollow course that left most golfers wondering whether the US Open had moved to May.

"I wouldn't be surprised if in the future there would be either a US Open or a PGA on this course, because they can make it as hard as they want to," Price said.

It wasn't a brute, not with rain soaking the 6763m course for three days leading up to the opening round. Still, Couples was looking ahead to what the next three days might hold.

"You can see what's going to happen," he said. "It's going to firm up, and all this 66 stuff is going to go away."

Couples and Price took advantage while they could, getting around with a different style of game that gave them a one-stroke lead over PGA champion Rich Beem.

In his first start since winning the Houston Open to end a five-year drought, Couples played a bogey-free round and holed two long birdie putts to be in the lead for the fourth successive round on tour.

Price, who was two days ago introduced as the latest member of the Hall of Fame, showed he may well add to his 18 PGA Tour victories when posting birdies on four of his last seven holes.

The four New Zealanders present were well back, the best of them being Craig Perks on 73.

Steve Alker managed 75, Michael Campbell's miserable time in the United States continued when he put together 76, and Phil Tataurangi shot 78.

Only 41 players managed to break par, and just 10 players were in the 60s on what is a relatively soft course.

* Padraig Harrington can atone for his disqualification three years ago after moving to within a shot of the Benson and Hedges International Open lead at The Belfry yesterday.

The Irish Ryder Cup player said he had had to "work hard" for his first-round five-under 67, but it took him to within a stroke of early frontrunner David Dixon, of England.

It was at the same Belfry venue - also the scene of Europe's Ryder Cup triumph last year, of which he was part - where in 2000 it was discovered Harrington had failed to sign for his opening-round 71 and, after going on to break the course record, was disqualified just before going out in the final round.

He was five strokes ahead of the field.

Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal went on to win the tournament and even Harrington's course record of 64 was expunged, the only bad memory he still holds, he said.

The 31-year-old Dubliner was taking no chances on omitting to sign for this year's card, which included a chip-in eagle and four birdies after he had bogeyed the second.

"Since that happened I always sign twice, but I remembered back and made sure and signed three times," said Harrington, who had made his mistake in 2000 when his playing partner, Campbell, accidentally signed in his place.

The last two winners of the event, 2001 winner Henrik Stenson of Sweden and 2002 champion Argentine Angel Cabrera, lie third, two shots off the lead.

* Sweden's Sophie Gustafson and American Rosie Jones share the lead after shooting six-under 66s in the opening round of the US$1.3 million ($2.32 million) LPGA Tour event in South Carolina.

American Pat Hurst was one shot back.

New Zealand's Marnie McGuire finished with 76.

- AGENCIES