"I remember walking down the ninth hole, walking off the tee in the afternoon of the Pro-Am," Watson said yesterday after shooting an opening-round 67.

"They were yelling from the house right over there 'They're bombing Baghdad!' It was definitely a serious time."

Watson -- whose best finish at the United Airlines Hawaiian Open was third in 1973 -- didn't make the cut six years ago. And the 48-year-old hasn't returned since.

"It's nice to be back," Watson said. "I thought this was going to be the last year at Waialae. That was my main reason for coming back."

Watson finished 5-under and trails leaders John Huston and Dave Ogrin by four shots. He had birdie putts on 17 holes and sank a 30-footer for eagle on the par-5 13th.

"I had a lot of opportunities out there today," Watson said. "It was a pretty easy course today with no wind. I'm relying on a lot of past memory on the golf course. Some of it still accurate. If I can still remember it."

Watson hit 17 greens and putted from the fringe on the one he missed at the par-3 11th. He finished even par on 14 holes and 5-under on the par 5s.

WADKINS INJURED: Two-time Hawaiian Open champion Lanny Wadkins withdrew on the 15th hole after injuring his left wrist on his drive.

The Dallas resident, who finished second to David Ishii at this year's Johnny Bellinger Shoot-Out, was 2-under at the time.

Marshals at that hole said he wanted to be taken to the doctor for X-rays. Results were not known.

STRANGE DAYS: ABC broadcaster Curtis Strange might not be available to do commentary for this weekend's final two rounds.

The 43-year-old shot a blistering opening round of 65 to finish in a tie for fourth with six other golfers. Strange hasn't won a PGA Tour event since the 1989 U.S. Open. The only time this decade Strange survived the cut was in 1991. He finished in a tie for 16th with a 278 total. His best finish was a tie for sixth in 1987.

TIES RECORD: Ogrin tied a course record yesterday after firing a 29 on the back side.

The Texas A&M graduate began his round on the 10th hole. The 3-foot putt was the first of four consecutive birdies to open the round. After parring the fifth hole, Ogrin went on to birdie three of the remaining four holes.

The 29 tied a mark set by Davis Love III in 1994. He shot a 29 during the second round en route to a course record 60. Love lost to Brett Ogle by one stroke that year.

OPENING ACT: Despite being among the four easiest on the course, the first hole proved disastrous for several players.

Chief among them was Paul Azinger. He shot a 64 during Wednesday's Pro-Am, but came back with a 4-over 76 during yesterday's opening round.

One reason was the 8 he took on the par-5 first hole. And he wasn't alone. Phil Blackmar finished with a 5-over 79, thanks in part to the 9 he posted at hole No. 1. Ogrin's only bogey came at the first hole.

After hitting his drive out of bounds and landing in a trap on his fourth shot, Ogrin blasted out to within one inch of the hole and tapped in for the bogey.

Once again, the most difficult hole on the course was No. 6. The par-4, 474-yard hole yielded only 16 birdies. There were 90 pars and 20 bogeys. The golfers averaged 4.229 strokes.

The easiest hole was No. 9. The par-5, 510-yard hole gave up five eagles and 99 birdies. There were only three bogeys for the round.

In all, 105 golfers shot 71 or better with 65 of those professionals shooting below 70. Only 38 shot par or worse.