US SENIORS TOUR REPORT

O'Meara leads after putting tip from Tiger

A putting tip that Mark O'Meara received from Tiger Woods on the 10th green at Augusta National last week paid off at Lutz, Florida yesterday.
O'Meara shot a 6-under 65, taking a one-stroke lead over Mike Reid and defending champion Nick Price in the first round of the US Seniors Tour's Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.
"I got a little bit of a putting lesson from Tiger last week at the Masters," said O'Meara, a long-time friend and confidant of the world's No 1. "I was kind of rakey on my putts, so he wanted me to swing kind of two degrees more out to the right. I didn't putt that great at Augusta, but today I putted a lot better."
Woods was pictured last week with cell phone in hand last week, taking a video of O'Meara's putting stroke. The two friends played a practice round before the Masters, where O'Meara missed the cut and Woods finished tied fourth in his return to golf.
O'Meara, starting at the 10th, made six birides in eight holes, beginning his purple patch at the par-3 second.
"Anytime you do six birdies in nine holes, you'll take it," O'Meara said. "I putted well, though, and anyone, on any tour, needs to putt well to win."
Two-time champion Tom Watson followed his memorable weekend at the Masters with a 67, and was among a group of eight players within two shots of the lead. Joining him at 4 under were Tom Pernice Jr., Tommy Armour III, Bernhard Langer, Russ Cochran and Tom Jenkins.
"Playing this course is like going through a minefield," said Watson, who won the tournament in 2007 and '08. "There are a lot of shots over the water and to keep it out of the water (needs to be) your game plan."
Price had six birdies during his round, even though he could have been forgiven for a slow start. The defending champion wasn't sure how he would fare after arriving late Wednesday from a family trip to Egypt.
"My swing, I feel, is still coming back over the Atlantic," Price said before the start of the tournament. "I'd be very surprised if I contended this week."
He's joined at 5 under by Reid, who started his round with a double bogey but bounced back with five birdies and an eagle the rest of the way.
"Golf is just -- it's such an in-the-moment challenge," Reid said. "Every time you tee the ball up, you're going to be tested, but you hope that your of a mind to keep going forward even though you may be stumbling."