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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana : American Dean Wilson fired a first-round 66 here Thursday to grab a one-shot lead over Australian Peter Londard and two others at the 6.2 million-dollar Zurich Classic.
Wilson's six-under effort was his best of 2008, and put him one in front of Lonard and Americans Briny Baird and Chez Reavie.
Australian Steve Elkington headed a group of four players a further shot back on 68.
Wilson appeared to be reaping the benefits of a two-week break from competition as he improved on his previous best round of the season. He posted two 67s at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, where he finished tied for 36th.
"I've struggled a little bit," Wilson said. "I took a couple of weeks off and just went home and tried to clear my brain and just play golf rather than maybe sit on the range and fiddle with my swing."
Reavie also came into the tournament refreshed by a small break.
"I was a little tired and needed to work on my game," said Reavie, who had three birdies and an eagle at 12, where he holed out from 30 yards. "I had two good weeks with my coach Peter Kostis and we sorted some things out and luckily I played well."
Wilson started strong, with a birdie at his first hole, and dealt competently with difficult winds on the TPC Louisiana course.
"It's tough out there," Wilson said. "You've got to hit it right here and make a good swing. There's no bail-out, so I think that helped a little bit."
Wilson, Baird, Reavie and Lonard all teed off after noon and missed the worst of the winds.
Elkington had a little inside knowledge because he helped design the course with Pete Dye.
"There is an advantage to knowing the course as well as I do being a designer," said Elkington, who was joined on 68 by Cameron Beckman, Vaughn Taylor and Jay Williamson
"It's a thinking man's course. This one, even though it's a long scorecard, it's all about where you hit your irons."
Baird benefitted from some luck at the sixth, one of the toughest on the day.
With 208 yards to the hole into the wind, Baird hit a five-wood that he caught thin and got under the wind. It landed before on the green and rolled about 30 feet into the hole.
"Being a little thin, it stayed under the wind a little bit better," Baird said. "It was going to be a really small five-wood and the way it came off you could tell it was going to be good."
That gave Baird a share of the lead. He birdied the next, but fell back into second with a bogey at his last hole, the par-three ninth.
Reigning Masters champion Zach Johnson, playing his last tuneup before defending his title at Augusta National in the first Major of 2008 in April, fired a 72 and was tied for 59th. - AFP/ch
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