HOOVER, Ala. -- Friday's scoring average of 69.519 was the lowest single-round scoring average in tournament history, breaking the old mark of 70.397, which was set in the second round in the 2002 tournament at Greystone Golf and Country Club. The previous low at the current course was 70.590 in last year's opening round. A total of 60 players in the 77-man field finished with a sub-par round and 43 of those players had rounds in the 60s.
Bobby Clampett, Peter Senior, Russ Cochran & Joey Sindelar all matched the lowest first-round score posted at this site since the Regions Charity Classic moved here in 2006.
Making just his second start on the Champions Tour, Clampett shot a 7-under-par 65 and is currently tied for first with fellow rookie Senior, Sindelar and Cochran. Clampett finished T47 in his debut at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic two weeks ago.
With four players tied for the lead, it was the most to share the first-round lead in a Champions Tour event since seven players were tied at the 2008 JELD-WEN Tradition.
Monday qualifier Trevor Dodds fired a 5-under-par 67 on Friday and is currently T8.
Bill Glasson made his Champions Tour debut and shot a 1-under-par 71. It was his just his second start in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event this year. His other start was at last month's Fresh Express Classic in California on the Nationwide Tour where he missed the cut after rounds of 71-76. Prior to that, his last start came at the close of the 2007 season at the PGA TOUR's Frys.com Open in Arizona.
Jeff Sluman made his 46th consecutive start on the Champions Tour on Friday, the longest current streak on the Tour. Bob Gilder played in the 153rd consecutive event for which he's been eligible.
Andy Bean, the 2008 champion, posted his ninth straight sub-par round in this tournament after firing a 3-under-par 69 on Friday.
Tom Jenkins continued his strong play in the Regions Charity Classic. Making his 11th start in this event, Jenkins shot a 5-under-par 67 and he has posted an impressive 27 sub-par rounds in 30 starts. A total of 16 of those have been in the 60s. He is a combined 84-under-par.
Sindelar, Clampett, David Peoples, Trevor Dodds, Larry Nelson, Ben Crenshaw, David Eger, Jenkins, Kirk Hanefeld, Ted Schulz, Gil Morgan, Bernhard Langer, Hale Irwin, Sluman, Chien-Soon Lu and Senior all posted bogey-free rounds.
Defending champion Keith Fergus opened with a 1-under-par 71 and is T55.
Jim Dent, who matched his age each of the last two years in this tournament, narrowly missed doing it for the third year in succession. The 71-year-old Dent shot an even-par 72.
There were 330 total birdies on Friday. The tournament is participating in the Birdies for Charity program.
Fulton Allem recorded two eagles (Nos. 6, 13) in the opening round.
Tom Kite's card included nine birdies, four bogeys and five pars. He finished with a 5-under-par 67.
Playing on a prosthetic limb, Ken Green made his first start in a stroke-play event in almost a year and shot 2-over 74. His round included four birdies. Green had his lower-right leg amputated following an RV accident in Mississippi while returning from the Triton Financial Classic in Austin last June. The accident killed his girlfriend, his brother and his dog, Nip. Here are some quotes from Green following his round today:
"I'm not happy, but I am happy if that makes any sense. I hit some good shots and when I think about it tonight, I think I'll be happy. It was hard and I got emotional at times during the round. The crowd support was great all day. I can't tell you how good it does me to get that support. We all need love and support. The four birdies I made out there was fantastic. I was nervous on the 1st tee but the tee shot I hit was actually one of my better ones of the day. I had lots of good hope out there and I'm encouraged going forward."