Fleisher leads Encompass Insurance Pro-Am
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bruce Fleisher shot a 6-under 65 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead over Michael Allen and Chien Soon Lu after the first round of the Champions Tour's Encompass Insurance Pro-Am.
The 63-year old Fleisher, making his third start of the year, had seven birdies and a bogey. He won the event in 2000 and 2003.
Fleisher, playing a limited schedule of 10 or 11 events, tied for 45th and 37th the previous two years.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Allen overcame a double bogey and bogey. He has finished second or third three times in five events this season.
Lu had consecutive birdies on 14 and 15, but three-putted three holes.
Bernhard Langer, Russ Cochran, Corey Pavin, Peter Senior and Brad Bryant were two strokes back at 67.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gary Hallberg started his round with four consecutive birdies, but ended up at 69.
Langer, the 2010 winner, missed last year's event because of a thumb injury.
Cochran had a cortisone shot for a sore right wrist before the tournament and rebounded after bogeys on his second and third holes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kirk Triplett finished at 68 in his first Champions Tour round.
Tom Watson, playing with right arm and hand discomfort, had a 77.
Nick Price dropped out because of an injured left elbow, which has been hurting for the past three to four weeks. He played seven holes before leaving the course.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tommy Armour III also withdrew after one hole due to a shoulder injury.
Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, a couple weeks removed from an unlikely trip to college basketball's Final Four, was among the amateurs playing.