STEVE JONES and Jeff Maggert fought off strong afternoon winds to post six under par 66s and share the first round lead at, the Tucson Classic golf tournament in Arizona on Thursday.
Bob Tway, Don Pooley, Clarence Rose, Scott Dunlap and Jeff Hart, all of whom played in relatively calm morning conditions, were a stroke behind the leaders at five under 67.
Jones, who won the Phoenix Open by 11 strokes last month, called Thursday's 66 his best round of the year.
"Shooting nine under the first round in Phoenix was good too, but there was no wind that day," Jones said.
"To shoot six under today with the way the wind was blowing and with the greens as hard as they were, as far as conditions go, this is the best, by far."
Jones, who had seven birdies, one bogey and five solid par saves, said the gusting winds made club selection extremely tricky. "It all depended on when you were hitting and what the wind was doing at that exact moment as to what club you could hit."
Jones, who won the 1989 Bob Hope Desert Classic and the Phoenix Open four weeks ago, said victory here Sunday would give him a "desert slam" - a feat made famous by Johnny Miller in the 1970s.
"On my way down here I thought about winning all the desert tournaments ... mainly as a way to boost up my confidence. I haven't played particularly well since Phoenix."
