Kris Blanks posted two birdies and an eagle on his final eight holes early Thursday to take the round lead at the RBC Canadian Open. Blanks’ 3-under 67 held up as the day’s low round on a very tough Shaughnessy layout, but not without a few scares. Both Matt Kuchar (1 over) and Ben Martin (2 under) were tied with Blanks at one point but could not maintain their positions atop the leaderboard. Sean O’Hair briefly took the lead from Blanks, reaching 4 under after 14 holes, but he closed with three consecutive bogeys and posted a 1-under 69. Martin is part of a group of 11 players tied for second, one shot off Blanks’ pace. Among the others at 2 under are Kodak Challenge leader Bill Lunde, Canadian Matt McQuillan, Paul Goydos and Bo Van Plet. Ernie Els, who traveled to Canada as one of two players from last year’s TOUR Champisonhip by Coca Cola field currently outside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings, is also at 2 under. Defending RBC Canadian Open champion Carl Pettersson opened with a 4-over 74 and is tied for 90th.

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – No matter what happens when the first round of the Northern Trust Open is completed on Friday morning, there will be more players tied for the lead than after any round of any tournament on the PGA TOUR since such records started being kept in 1970.

The current tally is nine – John Senden, Martin Laird, Robert Allenby, Spencer Levin, Aaron Baddeley, Ben Martin, Bill Haas, Carl Pettersson and J.B. Holmes. And Peter Tomasulo could make it 10 if he converts a 13-footer for birdie at the 18th hole when he resumes his first round at 7:45 a.m.

The previous record was eight.

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- A lot has been written already this year about the New Breed and the Establishment on the PGA TOUR. It’s more than a marketing plan, though – and you have only to look at the leaders of the Farmers Insurance Open for proof.

Four of the five players currently tied for the lead at 5 under are 25 or younger – Chris Kirk (25), Sung-hoon Kang (24), Ben Martin (23) and Rickie Fowler (22). Brant Jobe at 45 is holding the banner for the “old” guys.