MADISON, Miss., Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Carlos Franco carded a 66 Thursday to share the first-round lead with Hidemichi Tanaka and John Huston at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic.
With golf's elite in Georgia for the exclusive American Express Championship, the Southern Farm Bureau Classic is well-suited to players like Franco, who has struggled this year after winning three times in 1999 and 2000.
Four years ago, Franco became the first South American to win on the PGA Tour since Roberto De Vizenco in 1968 when he captured the Compaq Classic of New Orleans.
David Edwards and Patrick Sheehan were tied for fourth at 67.
This tournament has a $3 million purse and a $540,000 top prize, matching the smallest figures on tour. But each dollar could prove crucial as players fight for their playing privileges over the final five weeks of the season.
