Bernhard Langer of Germany posted a bogey-free 8-under-par 63 to take a two-stroke lead over Fred Couples, Jeff Hart and Chien Soon Lu of Taiwan after one round of the Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.
Langer, the two-time Masters champion who has won 19 times on the Champions Tour including the 2008 Toshiba, recorded four birdies on each nine, capping his day with a four-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.
“I played really solid through the whole bag,” said Langer, won who the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii. “I hit most of the greens in regulation and I was happy with just about every club in my bag.”
Couples, who claimed the 2010 Toshiba, played the front nine in a bogey-free, 4-under 31 before adding three more birdies and his only bogey at No. 16 on the back in a round of 65.
Hart, of Pomona and USC, whose only professional victory came in the 2000 Steamtown Classic on the Buy.com Tour, birdied three of the first five holes and added four birdies in six holes through No. 17, while making only one bogey in his 65.
Lu, who has claimed 34 pro victories in Asia but none on the PGA or Champions tours, birdied four of the last eight holes in his bogey-free 65.
Duffy Waldorf of Northridge and UCLA shot 66 to tie for fourth with Scott Simpson of San Diego and USC, Michael Allen of San Mateo and Nevada-Reno, Kirk Triplett and Kenny Perry.
