Fri Apr 25 17:16:47 2008

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Watson, North combine for 59 at Legends

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Savannah, GA (Sports Network) - Tom Watson and Andy North combined to card 13 birdies en route to a 13-under-par 59 Friday, which gave them a three-stroke lead after the opening round of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.

This event had been an individual stroke-play event the last six years, but returned to its roots as a team event this year at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa. The 32 teams are playing a two-man, better-ball event.

Watson and North's 59 was one off of the tournament record of 58 which was set by Al Geiberger and Harold Henning in 1991. North won this event in 2000 and 2001 when teamed with Jim Colbert.

There are five teams tied for second place at 10-under-par 62. They include Morris Hatalsky and Don Pooley, R.W. Eaks and Bob Gilder, Keith Fergus and Wayne Levi, John Cook and Joey Sindelar and Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler.

Andy Bean and Jerry Pate were in the first group out and they fired a nine- under-par 63. They share seventh place with the team of Larry Nelson and Jim Thorpe.

North and Watson opened with an impressive stretch of golf. They combined to birdie each of the first seven holes to fly up the leaderboard.

"That's the way to do it, isn't it? We birdied the first seven holes," Watson said. "That sort of got us started, I have to say. We ham and egged it pretty darn good."

After their first par on the eighth, Watson and Nelson birdied three of the next four to move into a share of the lead at 10-under.

Watson's approach stopped within four feet at the 14th and he kicked that in to give he and North the lead at 11-under.

Watson followed with a six-foot birdie putt on the 16 and closed out their stellar round with an eight-foot birdie putt at 17.

"Basically, Tom played a beautiful round of golf," said North of Watson's 10 birdies. "He controlled it well off the tee and hit a lot of really good iron shots. Really, he only made maybe two putts over 10 feet long.

"Other than that those are the kind of putts you expect to make. It was fun watching. You just want to make sure you stay out of his way. It was beautiful to watch. It was a terrific round of golf Tom played."

Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam are alone in ninth at minus-eight.