Two teams share Legends lead

Savannah, GA – Ridgedale, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Fred Funk and Jeff Sluman teamed to fire a 10-under 61 on Friday and earn a share of the lead after one round of the Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf.

Funk and Sluman were joined atop the leaderboard by Russ Cochran and Kenny Perry. Sluman teamed with Brad Faxon to win the title last year and Funk shared second place with Mike Goodes.

Perry and Gene Sauers shared second with Funk and Goodes last year.

Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen fired a 9-under 62 and were joined in third place by Billy Andrade and Tommy Armour III. Bernhard Langer and Tom Lehman combined for an 8-under 63 and shared fifth place with Corey Pavin and Duffy Waldorf.

Those six teams all played the par-71 Springs Course at Buffalo Ridge Golf Club.

The groups in the other half of the field played the par-54 Top of the Rock Course, which will host the final round on Sunday. It's the first time the Champions Tour is playing an official event on a par-3 course.

All teams at Buffalo Ridge played 18 holes of better-ball partners, while the teams at Top of the Rock played nine holes of alternate shot and nine holes of better ball.

Tom Watson and Andy North posted a 5-under 49 on the par-3 course and were joined there by Nick Faldo and Eduardo Romero. They were the lead teams at Top of the Rock, and they were tied for 14th overall at minus-5.

Funk and Sluman got off to a fast start as they birdied the first three holes. After a par on No. 4, they birdied the fifth. They duo again poured in three consecutive birdies from the seventh and made the turn at minus-7.

Around the turn, they parred six of the first seven holes to go with a birdie on the 13th, then closed their round with birdies at 17 and 18.

"We're glad to be playing with each other. Fred got off to a great start," Sluman said. "Actually, we both did. We both played really solid golf all day. I think after 12 holes, we each contributed like on six holes each, so we were just playing solid golf, hitting it down the middle and giving ourselves two birdie chances every hole."

Cochran and Perry also had a fast start with four birdies in the first five holes. Perry made eagle on the par-5 eighth, then parred the ninth to make the turn at minus-6.

They made birdie on the 10th to gain a share of the lead. Cochran and Perry, who were two groups behind Funk and Sluman, parred five in a row from the 11th, then closed with three straight birdies from the 16th to gain a share of the lead.

"Kenny came in there and really got things started. He just had a terrific front side especially and really the whole day. I don't know how many birdies he made. He made many birdies and an eagle," said Cochran. "I'm not playing very well is the problem. I'm not rolling it very well. So I think I've got to give him all the credit for understanding where my game was and still playing aggressively and boldly and really getting the job done."

NOTES: The first round was completed despite a pair of weather delays that combined to last nearly four hours ... This event was played at The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa in Georgia last year.