LA JOLLA, Calif., Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Defending FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker fired a 7-under 65 Thursday that gave him a share of the lead one round into the Farmers Insurance Open.
K.J. Choi also shot a 65 and joined Snedeker with a one-shot cushion on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the Torrey Pines course.
Choi's round was shot on the South Course, a former U.S. Open host and the more difficult of the two used for this week's tournament. Most of the day's low scores were fired on the North Course, which is almost 1,000 yards shorter than its neighboring layout.
Snedeker won last year's Tour Championship, which gave him the $10 million bonus that goes to the FedEx Cup winner each season. That achievement has vaulted him to the No. 8 spot in the world rankings.
Tied for second after the first round at 66 were Josh Teater, Adam Hadwin, Luke List, Ross Fisher, Billy Horschel, Charles Howell III, Mike Weir and Scott Stallings -- all of whom played on the North Course.
Stallings took a five-shot lead into the final round at last week's event in the California desert, but faltered and wound up missing out on a playoff won by Brian Gay. Howell was a participant in the playoff, but failed in his bid to win for the third time on the PGA Tour.
Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, did not survive the cut in any of the 14 tournaments in which he played in 2012.
Gay is not playing this week, nor is Sony Open champion Russell Henley.
Tiger Woods, who missed the cut last week in his season debut on the European Tour, shot a 68 on the South Course and was tied for 20th place. Phil Mickelson settled for a 72 on the North Course in a round that included four bogeys.
Mickelson drew attention last week when he hinted he would have something dramatic to say at Torrey Pines concerning the amount of taxes he currently has to play, but when he arrived at this tournament he declared he was sorry he had ever say anything to start with and was dropping the subject.
