Johnson, Garrigus share lead at Pebble Beach

Dustin Johnson has cruised to the top of the leaderboard after one round of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after an eagle on the first hole followed by five birdies left him in a first-place tie with a 7-under-par 65.

However, he is not alone at the top as the little-known Robert Garrigus closed his afternoon with a flourish to storm ahead of the pack in this $6.1 million event, which is being played at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Poppy Hills Golf Club.

Garrigus started on the back nine and registered three birdies but caught a hot streak at the end of the day, posting an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole and following with consecutive birdies.

Seeking his first career win, Garrigus has recorded seven top-10 finishes in three-plus years on the Tour. Johnson, meanwhile, is looking for his second career win in just his second full year on the PGA Tour.

He and Johnson have plenty of competition near the top as 10 players are within two strokes, including Rich Beem, Vaughn Taylor and Charley Hoffman, who are tied at 6-under.

The 2002 PGA champion, Beem capitalised on a fast start, recording birdies on five of the first eight holes. Meanwhile, another former major winner, Mike Weir, is looming at 5-under and locked in a seven-way tie.

The Canadian lefthander, who won The Masters in 2003, started on the back nine and eagled the par-4 18th hole to spark his round.

Defending champion Steve Lowery's solid start was negated by consecutive bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9. He is five shots back at 2-under.

Last year, Lowery broke an eight-year victory drought and picked up his third PGA Tour title with a birdie on the first playoff hole to outlast Vijay Singh. Lowery entered the final round three strokes off the lead.

Singh also is in the field this week, making his second start of the season. He played a consistent but uneventful round, recording one birdie and one bogey to finish at even par.

The winner of this event in 2004, Singh is making his return to the Tour after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in mid-January to repair a torn meniscus.

Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson also are in the field. Furyk is at 1-under, while Mickelson's double-bogey on No. 10 set him back as he finished at even par.

Furyk is coming off a 2008 season in which he led the tour in top-10 finishes with nine. But he did not record a victory for the first time since the 2004 season.

Mickelson has had success here, as the Pebble Beach Pro-Am is one of four events he has won three or more times. Mickelson, who won here by five strokes in 2007, has five top-three finishes in 13 appearances.

Three-time major champion and reigning PGA Player of the Year Padraig Harrington started on the back nine and posted consecutive bogeys from numbers 2-4 to slip to 2-over.

Paul McGinley shot a level par 72 on the opening day of the Pebble Beach National Pro Am.