Silvis, IL -- (Sports Network) - Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen fired a seven-under 64 Thursday for a share of the first-round lead at the John Deere Classic.
Darron Stiles birdied the 18th hole to join Janzen atop the leaderboard at the final PGA Tour tune-up before next week's British Open.
The duo held a one-shot advantage over J.J. Henry, Matt Bettencourt and Dean Wilson.
Dicky Pride, Jason Day, Tim Petrovic and Matthew Borchert stood another stroke further back at five-under 66.
Janzen, 44, carded his lowest round in four years and took the 18-hole lead for only the second time in the last eight seasons.
Struggling with his confidence and locked in a three-year battle to re-work his swing, the eight-time PGA Tour winner believes things are finally starting to look up.
He noted his fourth-place tie at Hilton Head in April as a turning point.
"Eventually I knew a decent round would come here and there. So it's been growing and growing and growing, and Hilton Head I think was a huge factor," said Janzen, who hasn't won since claiming his second U.S. Open in 1998.
On Thursday, he birdied three of his first seven holes to make a good start. But with players going low at the TPC Deere Run, Janzen needed more.
He collected five birdies on the back nine, including a four-foot putt at the 16th that gave him sole possession of the lead. He moved in front by two shots with a seven-foot birdie putt at the 17th.
Janzen, however, hit into a greenside bunker at the 18th and closed with his only bogey of the round.
It was only the 10th time in 541 tour starts that Janzen held at least a piece of the first-round lead.
"I hit a good drive off the first tee. Sometimes it's just your first shot of the day, your rhythm or whatever (that gets you going)," said Janzen. "And I hit every fairway today, so every time I hit a fairway it was just that much more confidence that I was going to hit it in the next fairway and so on."
Janzen is trying to qualify for his first British Open since 2003, which he can do by being the leading player among the top-five finishers this week not already qualified for the Turnberry field.
"I think about what I did right today and why I did it right, and that's what I want to do tomorrow," said Janzen.
Stiles, a four-time winner on the Nationwide Tour, went birdie-bogey at the second and third holes, then collected seven birdies over the next 13 holes to get to within a shot of Janzen's lead.
Around the same time Janzen was struggling to his closing bogey, Stiles missed a two-foot par putt back at the 17th with a chance to take a share of the lead.
Stiles rebounded with a seven-foot birdie putt at the 18th to join Janzen atop the leaderboard.
The 36-year-old Stiles, who shot a 64 in the final round of the '07 John Deere Classic and tied for 22nd place, is seeking his first PGA Tour win. He held only his second 18-hole lead in his 107th tour start.
"Best round of the year so far," said Stiles. "I only missed one fairway, which is usually a pretty strong point of mine. But today, the iron play, I hit a lot of shots really close and got the putts to go to boot. Chipped in once, made one from the fringe. It was overall a really good day."
