Golf: Gore and Funk hit high notes

What you might call golf's 'odd couple' - big-hitting Jason Gore and the metronomically accurate Fred Funk - are top of the leaderboard after the first round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout.

They fired a nine-under 63 at Tiburon Golf Club. Gore and Funk survived a bogey in the alternate shot format, rebounding with a birdie on the 17th before just missing a 10-footer for birdie on the final hole.

The Gore-Funk team has a similar makeup to two-time defending champions Hank Kuehne, 30, one of the longest hitters on tour, and Jeff Sluman, 48, an accurate iron player.

"I've never really been paired with a guy who's as long as he is," Funk said of Gore. "The game's easier from where he plays it. It would be nice to be able to hit it that long."

John Huston, a late replacement for injured Scott Hoch, teamed with Kenny Perry at eight under, and Mark O'Meara and Nick Price matched it to tie for second along with Fred Couples and Adam Scott.

Ryan Moore, a late replacement for Fredrik Jacobson, and Jesper Parnevik were even par after five holes, but played the next 13 in seven under and are in fifth.

Kuehne and Sluman were just one under at the turn but played the back nine in five under to get within three shots, along with Paul Azinger and Olin Browne.

The winners split $US630,000 ($NZ934,733) of the $US2.6 million prize purse.

- NZPA