By The Associated Press

NORTON, Mass. – Tiger Woods couldn’t make a putt. Justin Rose didn’t have to.

Rose made five birdies from inside 3 feet, then capped off his first round with a 15-foot eagle from the fringe for an 8-under 63 on Friday and a two-stroke lead in the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Vijay Singh and Cliff Kresge each had a 65 on the TPC of Boston. The best scoring came from early starters, as strong breezes kept anyone from getting close to Rose.

The PGA Tour returned to the Boston area for the first time in five years, bringing out some 25,000 spectators who were reminded how easy the game can look when the putts don’t have to travel far.

“A fantastic start,” Rose said, speaking more to his own round than the tournament.

He hit a sand wedge into 18 inches on his opening hole, then added two more birdies with an 8-iron into 2 feet on No. 4 and another 8-iron into 3 feet on No. 5. Rose blasted out of a greenside bunker to 18 inches for another birdie on the par-5 seventh.

“I really hadn’t made a putt until the eighth, where I knocked in a 20-footer,” Rose said. “And suddenly, I was 5 under.”

The 23-year-old Englishman finished as good as he started.

He hit his approach into 3 feet on the 17th to catch Singh and Kresge, then blew past them with a 4-iron from 231 yards that easily cleared the marsh, caught a ridge and stopped just on the fringe, setting up his eagle. Rose set the course record – not a difficult chore since this was the first tournament round played on the 7,415-yard layout – and wound up in the lead for the first time in a PGA Tour event.

Woods shot 1-under 70.

Watson leads Tradition

ALOHA, Ore. – Even the shots that appeared to go awry for Tom Watson somehow went right.

Watson birdied four of the last five holes in a 10-under 62 Friday that gave him a four-stroke lead after two rounds of the Jeld-Wen Tradition, the year’s last major on the Champions Tour.

On the par-4 17th, Watson’s tee shot missed the fairway, found some wood chips and then miraculously came to rest on an artificial turf putting green used as a promotion.

“Bruce said, “You want to drop?”‘ Watson said, referring to caddie Bruce Edwards. “I said, “Heck no, I’ve got the perfect lie.”‘

Watson’s off-course adventure didn’t cost him anything, either. He saved par on the hole and went on to birdie No. 18.

Watson, who won the British Senior Open last month, was a tournament-record 14-under 130 after 36 holes at the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club.

Kung extends lead in rain at State Farm Classic

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Candie Kung fought through another slow start and soggy conditions for a 4-under 68 Friday and widened her lead to four strokes halfway through the LPGA State Farm Classic.

Kung shook off two early bogeys and then held off charges from three players to finish 36 holes at 13 under.

at the Rail Golf Course, where birdies weren’t as plentiful as usual because of the poor weather.