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Thursday, August 10

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- George Burns excelled in Canada as an amateur. Now he is faring well north of the border as a professional.

	Jack Nicklaus had five birdies before his lone bogey on No. 17.

Burns, the 1973 Canadian Amateur champion, drained a hole-in-one at the 172-yard second hole en route to a bogey-free, 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead afterthe first round of the Canada Senior Open.

Ed Dougherty, who recorded his first Senior Tour win at last week's Burnet Classic, is one shot back, along with Walter Hall and Hugh Baiocchi. Leonard Thompson and Doug Tewell shot 67s.

Burns, whose caddie was a local 16-year-old, aced the 174-yard second hole at St. Charles Country Club with a 6-iron. But he was more excited about his caddie.

"I putted extremely well today, thanks to the young fellow," he said, referring to Stewart Bannatyne. "He knows these greens inside and out. The only putt I missed badly was on (the par-4) 16th, and that's the only one I went against his read.

"This is the best I've putted in a long, long time. I can't really put a finger on why, but I owe a lot to the youngster."

Burns, a resident of Boynton Beach, Fla., has had limited success on the Senior Tour, partly due to a string of nagging injuries the last few seasons. But some time spent recently on the European Senior Tour has given his confidence a much-needed boost.

"I'm playing a lot more relaxed right now, and that's probably helped," he said. "I haven't put any pressure on myself to win overseas. I've mostly been concentrating on just healing up my body."

Baiocchi, even through 11 holes, caught fire with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13, an eagle at the 14th and another birdie at the 15th. He closed out with a birdie on the final hole.

"I wasn't expecting anything standing on the 12th tee, but I sure got rolling," he said. "My short game got very hot all of a sudden."

Jack Nicklaus, whose last Senior Tour victory came in 1996, was among five players who carded 68s. Nicklaus has played a combined 13 events on the PGA and Senior tours this season, including what most likely are his final U.S. and British Opens. This is Nicklaus' first non-major event on the Senior Tour since February.

Nicklaus, who had the ball close to the hole all day, felt his score could have easily been much lower.

"I'm leaving my putter at the golf course, because I don't want to talk to it tonight," he joked. "(My score) certainly could have been better. ... I probably could have been 63 or 64 if I'd have made a few more putts. But everyone wants that. That's nothing new.

"I'm pretty excited to be right up there (on the leaderboard). I haven't been to Canada in several years, and this is a new golf course for me. I've got some confidence, and hopefully that will allow me to play better as we move through the weekend."

Seeking his fifth title of the season, reigning player of the year Bruce Fleisher is one of seven golfers who shot 69s. Defending champion Jim Ahern came in with a 70 and is tied with six others.

Last year, Ahern became one of seven Monday qualifiers to win a Senior Tour event and the first since Dana Quigley captured the 1997 Long Island Classic. Ahern defeated Hale Irwin in a playoff for his first Senior Tour win.

Irwin is not entered this week.

The $1.45 million event is being held for the first time at St. Charles Country Club, a par-72 course that measures 6,761 yards.