Wiebe grabs lead; Singh makes debut in Hawaii

Oahu, HI – Mark Wiebe shot 8-under-par 64 on Friday to grab the first-round lead at the Hawaii Championship.

Wiebe, who won the Senior British Open Championship in July, sits two strokes ahead of Mark Calcavecchia and John Cook at windy Kapolei Golf Course.

Brian Henninger is alone in fourth place after a first-round 67, while Bart Bryant, Brad Faxon and Corey Pavin share fifth at 4-under 68.

Three-time major champion Vijay Singh carded a 3-under 69 in his inaugural round on the Champions Tour. The 34-time PGA Tour winner, who turned 50 in February, is tied for eighth place with 10 others, including Bernhard Langer and defending champion Willie Wood.

"I think I did OK," Singh said in a televised interview. "Scoring was pretty low considering the conditions. I don't know if I was nervous or anxious or whatever you might call it, (but) I was just happy to get the first round out of the way."

Singh was in the mix early, as the Fijian picked up three birdies during his bogey-free outward nine. He played his final nine holes at even par with a birdie and a bogey.

"I'm actually changing my golf swing a little bit," Singh continued. "It's not really changing the path of the golf swing, but it's a move that I'm doing and it's very awkward."

Wiebe emerged from a crowded leaderboard when he birdied three holes in a row from the third to move a shot ahead of the chasing pack at 3-under.

Calcavecchia kept pace, however, opening with a birdie at the 10th (his first) and turning the trick three more times during his outward nine to grab a share of the lead.

Wiebe continued to surge forward, though, closing his front nine with back-to- back birdies, then reeling off four straight birdies from the 11th. That sizzling stretch pushed Wiebe three clear of Calcavecchia, who birdied the first and third, then wrapped up his opening round with six straight pars.

Wiebe maintained his 3-stroke lead until the last, where he stumbled to his lone bogey of the day to finish at minus-8.

Cook went out with the later wave and mixed nine birdies and three bogeys to end the opening round two back.

NOTES: Wiebe is a four-time Champions Tour winner ... Singh won the Masters in 2000 and the PGA Championship in both 1998 and 2004 ... Charles Schwab Cup points leader Kenny Perry shot even-par 72. Perry won two majors on the Champions Tour this season.