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NAPLES, Fla. -- Fred Funk and Jason Gore combined for a 9-under 63 during Friday's alternate-shot format and opened a one-stroke advantage over three teams after the first round of The Franklin Templeton Shootout.
Fred Couples and Adam Scott, Mark O'Meara and Nick Price and John Huston and Kenny Perry are lurking at 8-under-par.
Funk and Gore amassed 10 birdies, including five in the first eight holes. They dropped a shot on the par-4 16th, but came right back with their final birdie of the day on No. 17.
"We probably stole a few and left a few out there," Gore said. "That's kind of what you have to do in alternate shot."
 | | Gore: "We probably stole a few and left a few out there. That's kind of what you have to do in alternate shot." |
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"I've never really been paired with a guy who's as long as he is," Funk said of his partner. "The game's a lot easier from where he plays it."
Huston and Perry jumped out of the gate with an eagle on the first hole, a reachable par-5 that requires a sculpted approach shot over trees and across water.
"I pulled my drive a little left and it gave him almost a straight shot, if he cut it just a hair and missed the trees" Perry said. "He his a beautiful 3-wood, stiffed it and I made about a 30-footer."
Couples and Scott had it to 7 under through 11 holes, but could only manage one more birdie on the way in. O'Meara and Price managed their 64 despite only one birdie on the quartet of par-5s at Tiburón Golf Club.
Ryan Moore and Jesper Parnevik were even par after five holes, but played the next 13 in 7 under and are alone in fifth place.
Tournament host Greg Norman and Steve Elkington managed three birdies and enter weekend play six shots off the pace.
The second round, which features a better-ball format, begins at 9:25 a.m. ET. The leaders will tee off at 10:40 a.m.
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