CHAMPIONS

• Blackmar and Sluman share Schwab Cup Championship lead

  
  

  Sonoma, CA (Sports Network) - Phil Blackmar and Jeff Sluman both fired a round of six-under 66 on Thursday to share the first-round lead of the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

  This event is reserved for the top 30 on the Champions Tour money list. This tournament will also crown the winner in the year-long Charles Schwab Cup race, where the winner pockets a $1 million annuity.

  Eduardo Romero shot a five-under 67 and is alone in third place at Sonoma Golf Club.

  Brad Bryant and John Cook both had four-under 68s on Thursday and share fourth place.

  Thursday's leaders are on the opposite end of the physical spectrum, as Blackmar stands at 6-foot-7, while Sluman is a full foot shorter; however, the two were identical in terms of score and play in the opening round.

  Blackmar continued his fine form. Last week in San Antonio, Blackmar came from behind for his first victory and it was enough cash to get him the final spot in the field this week.

  "Last week was incredible because I basically needed to finish top five in that tournament to finish in the top 50 on the money list this year to have some status for next year," said Blackmar.

  With the 2010 status no longer a concern, Blackmar parred his first five holes on Thursday. At the sixth, Blackmar hit a nine-iron to 12 feet and holed the birdie effort.

  He made a short birdie putt at the ninth and a six-footer at No. 11 to get to three-under. Blackmar two-putted the par-five 13th green for his fourth birdie of the round.

  At the par-three 17th, Blackmar played a nine-iron to two feet. He tapped in the birdie putt and took his share of first at the last after a spectacular approach spun back to six feet.

  "I hit the ball very nicely last Sunday. I played really well the whole day," said Blackmar.

  "So today was just kind of a continuation of that. I played quite well today." So, too, did Sluman.

  The former PGA Champion bogeyed the first hole on Thursday but atoned for the error with a birdie at No. 2. Sluman parred the next seven holes to make the turn in even-par.

  Sluman birdied the 10th and 11th holes, then followed with a birdie at No. 13. That spurt got Sluman within striking distance of the lead, but it was his play late that got him a piece of first.

  At the par-five 16th, Sluman rolled in an 18-footer for eagle that got him one behind Blackmar. He followed with an eight-foot birdie putt at the 17th that knotted him in the lead with Blackmar.

  "It was a nice finish, obviously," said Sluman, who won this year's Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. "It's been a strange year with the putter. I'm doing a little something different." Tom Watson, Mark McNulty, Mark Wiebe and Russ Cochran share sixth place at three-under 69.

  Loren Roberts, who is first on the Schwab Cup points race and second on the money list, Lonnie Nielsen, Gil Morgan, Gene Jones, Mark O'Meara and Joey Sindelar are tied for 10th at minus-two.

  Leading money winner Bernhard Langer struggled to an even-par 72 on Thursday and is part of a large group tied for 20th place. Defending champion Andy Bean is also part of the logjam six shots back.

  10/29 19:27:18 ET