PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The Canadian team of Mike Weir and Ian Leggatt fired a 13-under 59 Thursday to take a one-shot lead after one round of the final official event of the 2002 golf season -- the World Golf Championship World Cup.
Americans Phil Mickelson and David Toms turned in a disappointing 65, beating only six teams in the 24-team field.
Playing a best-ball format, Weir and Leggatt combined for 11 birdies and an eagle at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Vista Vallarta course.
Australians Craig Parry and Adam Scott were alone in second with a 60 while the teams from South Korea (K.J. Choi-S.K. Ho) and France (Thomas Levet and Raphael Jacquelin) shared third at 61.
The French team came to the par-4 18th hole with the lead, but both players wound up in a hazard that runs down the left side of the fairway all the way to the green. That led to a double bogey, a rarity in team play.
The top-seeded American duo was tied for 16th after the first round and led only Colombia, Myanmar, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico and Singapore. Toms and Mickelson were paired with Venezuelans Carlos Larrain Jaime Acevedo for the first round and the Americans trailed their playing partners going to the final hole.
But the Venezuelans also suffered a double bogey at the 18th and missed a chance to finish in front of the Americans.
Friday's second round will be played in an alternate shot format, which will produce much higher scores than were posted Thursday.
