CALGARY — After shooting matching rounds of 8-under 63 on Friday, both Tom Pernice Jr., and Bart Bryant stressed they haven’t accomplished anything yet.
Pernice and Bryant both tied the course record to sit atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Shaw Charity Classic at the 7,086-yard, par-70 Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club.
"It’s always nice to come back where you feel comfortable and you’ve played well before," said Pernice, who finished in a tie for fifth spot at 13-under one year earlier at the inaugural Shaw Charity Classic. "I came in here playing pretty well and obviously getting off to a good start helps. We’ve got a long ways to go.
"It’s always nice to get out of the blocks and get started well. It gives you a good opportunity the next two days."
Bill Glasson originally set the course record of 62 in the last year’s final round to finish in a tie for 10th spot with Bryant at the Champions Tour event.
Bryant also had a solid opening round last year when he shot 64 to finish just one shot behind playing partner Rocco Mediate, who went on to win the three-day event by seven strokes over runner-up Tom Byrum.
"The mentality is you’ve got to go out and get it," said Bryant, who shot respectable rounds of 68 and 69 on the weekend last year to finish in a five-way tie for 10th spot. "It seemed like I was pretty much out of the tournament after the second day after what Rocco shot and of course he went out and blitzed it again.
"Every day you’ve got to have the attitude, at least at this venue, that you’re going to have to get started quick, make some birdies and shoot a low round of golf."
Bryant said he was able to shoot such a low score because he drove the ball into the fairway for the most part and that he putted well.
"Those just happen and hopefully they just happen three days in a row," he said of his round of 62. "You go out and you do your routine. You just keep trying to do what you do well and hopefully it’s your week and you keep making putts and you look back and go, ‘Wow, I just played three great rounds of golf in a row.’ That’s probably what it’s going to take."
Pernice went 5-under through his first five holes before adding five more birdies to go with two bogies.
"I just tried to stay calm and relaxed … put the pedal down and just keep going," Pernice said. "I had good control of the golf ball, drove the ball in play quite well really on especially the first nine holes."
David Frost fired a 63 to end up alone in third spot, while Joe Durant and Joe Daley shot 64 to finish in a tie for fourth spot.
Mediate found himself in unfamiliar territory on Friday after shooting an opening round 68 to finish in a tie for 34th spot with 12 others including playing partner Fred Couples.
"We did have a good time but none of us really did anything on the greens and that’s what you saw," said Mediate, whose group also included Calgary’s Stephen Ames.
Rod Spittle of Niagara Falls, Ont., finished as the top Canadian after shooting a 2-under 68 to finish in a tie for 34th spot. Ames shot even par to finish in a tie for 57 in just his second Champions Tour event.
Meanwhile, Jim Rutledge of Victoria, B.C., and Calgary’s Darryl James finished well back after shooting scores of 73 and 74, respectively.
Brian Cairns had the shot of Friday’s round when he used a nine-iron to ace the par-3, 167-yard fifth hole.
"It took one bounce and disappeared," said Cairns, who went on to shoot 67 to finish in a tie for 23rd. "It was almost like a dream."
