Associated Press
Friday, August 4

COON RAPIDS, Minn. -- Hale Irwin, Ed Dougherty and Allen Doyle shot 7-under-par 65s to share the lead after Friday's opening round of the Coldwell Banker Burnet Classic.

Beautiful summer weather and favorable course conditions helped 46 of the 78 players break par.

	Allen Doyle tees off on the 15th hole en route to his 65 Friday.

Irwin, the 1997 and 1999 Burnet champion, had seven birdies in a bogey-free round. He posted his ninth consecutive sub-par round at the Bunker Hills layout dating to 1997; he has a combined 46-under-par in those nine rounds.

"Birdies were the name of the game today," Irwin said. "If you don't make birdies, you'll get lapped. All you had to do was look at the scoreboard to see what you had to do."

It's the fourth consecutive year Irwin opened with a 65 or better. Each year he's either led or been within one shot of first after the opening round.

"In a three-day format, you have to get out well, stay ahead of the pack, and play with some sense of urgency," Irwin said. "That's particularly the case on a course like this that gives so many low scores. If you don't, you end up trying to make up too many shots on the weekend. You can't be content with 4- or 5-under-par rounds, because that's not going to get it done at week's end."

Irwin birdied holes No. 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 to move to 6-under-par. He parred five consecutive holes before he sank an 18-foot putt for birdie on No. 18 that let him tie Dougherty and Doyle.

Dougherty, still searching for his first Senior victory in his three years on tour, had five birdies and one bogey on the back nine as he matched his low round of the season. He has been plagued by a back injury this year and has no top-six finishes in 24 starts.

"I haven't played that well this year," Dougherty said. "But my back is starting to feel better. My 7-under is a good score, but it could have been even better. I had a bogey, and I lipped out an eagle putt on 18."

Doyle birdied four of the first six holes and had no bogeys as he continued his strong play in recent days. He tied for second and won $108,000 at last weekend's Long Island Classic at 15-under-par. He came back Wednesday to shoot a 5-under-par 67 to win the four-player Senior Slam and a payoff of $150,000 at the nearby TPC Players course in Blaine.

"I'm very happy the way I'm playing, but it's way too early for me to get excited," Doyle said. "But when you get it going like I have lately, you're always anxious to play."

Jim Thorpe, Jim Dent, Andy North and Gil Morgan are all one shot back at 66. Morgan moved into the tie for second with an eagle on the 18th hole -- the lone eagle of the day.

Bob Murphy shot 67 and sits in eighth place, and 10 players shot 68.

North, a first-year player eyeing his first top-five Seniors finish, birdied the first four holes to help climb out of a summer slump. He said his game has showed the effects of his demanding TV announcing commitments on the PGA tour. He has no top-28 finishes in his last six tournaments.

The field is chasing a purse of $1.6 million, including a $240,000 winner's payout.