Fri Apr 4 17:57:46 2008

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Wiebe leads by two at Cap Cana

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Cap Cana, Dominican Republic (Sports Network) - Mark Wiebe opened with a five- under-par 67 in windy conditions Friday to take a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the inaugural Cap Cana Championship.

Wiebe, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, claimed his first win on the Champions Tour last season at the SAS Championship, which was his tour debut.

"There was no letup out there, but you had to stay focused," said Wiebe of the gusty wind. "It's nice to get off to a good start, but we have two more days to go and the wind is supposed to be about the same as it was today."

Fulton Allem and Vicente Fernandez share second place at three-under-par 69.

Tom Watson, who excels in windy conditions, carded a two-under 70. He was joined in fourth place by James Mason and two-time Champions Tour Player of the Year Jay Haas.

Wiebe used a stellar back nine to take over the lead. He opened with a hole- out birdie from a bunker at the first and moved to minus-two thanks to a birdie on the par-five sixth.

The 50-year-old stumbled to a bogey on the eighth, then parred three straight around the turn on the Jack Nicklaus Course at Punta Espada Golf Club.

Wiebe began to make his move with a birdie on the par-five 12th. He made it two straight with a chip-in birdie at 13.

After a par on 14, Wiebe birdied the 15th to get to four-under. He also birdied the par-four 18th from three feet out for a two-shot lead.

"The wind was making the course play really hard and today's round was one of my best, even going back to when I played on the PGA Tour," said Wiebe. "My strength today was missing in the right spots. Mentally, I'm tired, but I'm happy to get in with my score."

Allem played the back nine first and was all over the place. He bogeyed the 10th, but ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch from the 12th.

Bogeys on 17 and 18 dropped Allem to minus-one and his fall was not over. Allem faltered to a bogey on the third, but rebounded with a birdie at five. He then made an eight-foot eagle putt on the par-five sixth to gain a share of second.

Fernandez also played the back nine first. He traded a birdie for a bogey from the 12th. After a birdie on the 15th, he reeled off six straight pars around the turn.

The Argentine birdied the fourth and sixth to move to three-under. Fernandez got it to four-under with a birdie on the eighth, but he gave that shot back with a bogey on the ninth.

Reigning U.S. Senior Open champ Brad Bryant notched a one-under 71 and was joined in seventh place by Mike Reid, Eduardo Romero, Bruce Vaughan, Scott Hoch, Sandy Lyle and Gary McCord.

Seven-time PGA Tour winner Joey Sindelar made his Champions Tour debut Friday with a three-over 75. He is tied for 38th place.