MIAMI, March 6 (UPI) -- Rod Pampling collected eight birdies en route to an 8-under 64 Thursday that gave him a one-shot edge over Bob Tway after one round of the Ford Championship.
Scott Hoch and Thomas Levet of France were two shots back at the Doral Resort's Blue Monster.
A 33-year-old Australian, Pampling is best known for having the first-round lead at the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie only to miss the cut after a second-round 86.
Pampling, out in the third group of the day, got most of his round in before a testing breeze made its presence felt. He only once was in danger of dropping a stroke, overshooting the par-3 15th green before saving par from six feet.
"The par-5s were a big key," said the long-hitting Pampling, who had tap-in birdies at three of them. "My swing is pretty solid at the moment. There is not a lot I have to do, other than picking the shot I want to hit and the right club and going ahead and hitting it."
Pampling, who finished 89th on the PGA Tour money list in his rookie season last year, has had a solid start to 2003. He was in the hunt halfway through the final round at Pebble Beach last month before tying for 10th.
Meanwhile, Tway recently switched to the so-called belly putter.
"I wasn't happy with the way I was putting, so I said I'll give it a whirl," he said. "I haven't putted great every week, but I have been a little more consistent with it.
"If you roll the ball a little better, you can make more putts. And I did that today. I made some putts I don't normally make."
Nearly 17 years have passed since Tway, now 43, holed out from a bunker at the 72nd hole to break Greg Norman's heart at the 1986 PGA Championship.
While Norman is now a part-time golfer, Tway is still very much a full-time player.
"There is nothing else I would rather do," he said. "As long as I keep enjoying it, I will keep going. I just keep trying to get better. I still think I can win if I play well."
Tied for fifth at 67 were Marco Dawson, Carlos Franco, Brent Geiberger and Shawn Micheel.
Jack Nicklaus, making his first regular PGA Tour start in almost two years, birdied the last two holes to shoot a 1-over 73 that left him tied for 97th place.
