Keith Clearwater made five birdies in a...

Keith Clearwater made five birdies in a seven-hole span on the way to a six-under-par 65 and a one-stroke lead in the first round of the $500,000 B.C. Open tournament at the En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, N.Y.

Clearwater maintained sole possession of the lead when Bob Estes bogeyed his final hole to finish with a 66.

Fulton Allem, Gil Morgan and Dave Eichelberger were two strokes behind. There were seven players at 68 and 24 at 69.

Clearwater, who hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since 1987, when he became the first rookie in a decade to take two tournaments in his first year, started slowly with just one birdie after six holes.

But he strung three birdies together to finish the front side. Two holes later, he took over the lead after coming up 18 inches shy on a 35-foot eagle putt. He added another birdie on No. 13 and parred in.