May leads Xerox Classic

Rochester, NY (Sports Network) - Bob May, who lost the 2000 PGA Championship in a playoff to Tiger Woods, posted a six-under 64 on Thursday to take the first-round lead of the Xerox Classic.

Dave Schultz is alone in second place at five-under 65 at Irondequoit Country Club.

May began on the back nine Thursday and flew out of the gate. He birdied his first two holes, then parred No. 12. May, who has battled back injuries since his playoff loss at Valhalla, birdied the 13th and parred his last five on his opening side.

May birdied the par-three second and three holes later, matched Schultz in the lead at minus-five.

He had trouble finding the fairway at the par-five ninth, but May still managed a birdie to get sole possession of first place.

"It was just well-rounded golf today," said May. "Everything was pretty good. I've been striking the ball really well and now I'm starting to score with it." May is 29th on the Nationwide Tour money list and the top-25 at year's end get their PGA Tour cards for next season. First place this week pays $108,000, but May dismissed all talk of the future.

"You don't even worry about it," said May. "We've got like nine tournaments left, or something like that. There's so much golf to be played. I just want to play some solid golf and see what happens." Former PGA Tour player Steve Pate, No.

2 on the money list Greg Chalmers, Craig Bowden, Brendon Todd and Jon Rusk share third place at four-under-par 66.

Two-time winner this year Colt Knost, Brian Stuard, Hunter Haas, Brendon de Jonge, Vance Veazey, Kyle Reifers and Brian Smock are knotted in ninth at three-under 67.

08/14 20:48:29 ET