• Lucas Glover, who has posted three top-10s in four starts this season, is off to a strong start this week at the FBR Open after a first-round 4-under-par 67. He is tied with 12 other players for seventh place, two strokes back of leaders Steve Lowery and Alex Cejka. Glover finished sixth at the Mercedes Championships, tied for 10th at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and tied for fourth at the Buick Invitational.

• Three time FBR Open champion Mark Calcavecchia got off to a good start on Thursday with an opening 4-under 67 (tied for seventh). He is 164-under par in 69 career rounds played at the FBR Open and his 4-under 67 is his 46th round in the 60s.

• Jerry Smith, who was the last player to qualify for the field this week, opened with a 5-under 66 (tied for third). Smith earned a spot in the field after David Berganio withdrew early Tuesday morning. He is making his fifth start at the FBR Open. The only time he has made a cut came in 2001 when he finished tied for 69th.

• Steve Lowery, who needed only 22 putts to get around the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale, opened with a 6-under 65 and holds the first round lead. It marks the 16th time that Lowery has been a leader/co-leader through the first round. The last time he held the first round lead came at the 2003 B.C. Open when opened with a 64.

• There were only eight bogey-free rounds recorded on Thursday: Alex Cejka (65), Lucas Glover (67), Brent Geiberger (66), Arron Oberholser (67), Geoff Ogilvy (67), Rocco Mediate (69), Jonathan Kaye (70) and J.J. Henry (67).

• Steve Flesch recorded two eagles in his round on Thursday, Nos. 13 and 15.

• Dudley Hart withdrew after seven holes due to a illness.

• Steve Lowery (first), Jerry Smith (tied for third) and Brandt Jobe, Kirk Triplett, Andrew Magee and Mark Calcavecchia (all tied for seventh) are all over 40 and among the top 10 through the first round. Here’s a look at the players over the age of 40 to win the FBR Open.

Year, Winner, Age
2001, Mark Calcavecchia, 40 years, 7 months, 16 days
2000, Tom Lehman, 40 years, 10 months, 23 days
1985, Calvin Peete, 41 years, 6 months, 2 days
1978, Miller Barber, 46 years, 10 months, 2 days
1967, Julius Boros, 46 years, 11 months, 9 days

• Play was halted for the day on Thursday due to darkness. The players were given the choice to finish their round. One-hundred and twenty-seven of the 131 players in the field posted scores on Thursday, leaving four players yet to complete the first round. For Friday, play of the suspended first round will resume at 8 a.m. (mountain time) with the second round scheduled to begin on time at 7:40 a.m.

• There are 19 players in the field at the FBR Open who have ties (born or residence) to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area or attended Arizona State University.The following is a list on how they fared in the first round of the FBR Open: Aaron Baddeley, 71 E, Rich Beem 74 +3, Steve Jones 76 +5, Johnathan Kaye 70 -1, Ian Leggatt 71 E, Tom Lehman 72 +1, Andrew Magee 67 -4, Billy Mayfair 71 E, Phil Mickelson 69 -2, Arron Oberholser 67 -4, Geoff Ogilvy 67 -4, Pat Perez 74 +3, Ted Purdy 72 +1, Chez Reavie 76 +5, Tony Rohlik 75 +4, Jerry Smith 66 -5, Joey Snyder III 73 +2, Brady Stockton DNF, Kirk Triplett 67 -4

• The 132-player field at the FBR Open features 36 international players from 17 nations outside the United States. Included are players from Australia, Canada, Columbia, England, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, Nothern Ireland, Paraguay, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago. Australia leads the way, with seven players in the field. So far this season one international player has won on the PGA TOUR (Stuart Appleby, at the Mercedes Championships).

• Nine of the 26 2006 PGA TOUR rookies are competing this week: Henrik Bjornstad (67), Nathan Green (69), J.B. Holmes (68), Camilo Villegas (DNF), Jon Mills (72), Bubba Dickerson (71), Steven Bowditch (DNF), Nicholas Thompson (71) and Troy Matteson (74).

• Twelve past champions are in the field this week: Phil Mickelson (2005, 1996), Jonathan Kaye (2004), Vijay Singh (2003, 1995), Chris DiMarco (2002), Mark Calcavecchia (2001, 1992, 1989), Tom Lehman (2000), Rocco Mediate (1999), Jesper Parnevik (1998), Steve Jones (1997), Lee Janzen (1993), Tommy Armour III (1990) and Paul Azinger (1987).

• The purse at the FBR Open now stands at $5.2 million, with the winner receiving $936,000. When the event began in 1932, winner Ralph Guldahl received a check for $600. The first time the tournament purse was $1 million was in 1991.