Roberts shoots 64 to lead Commerce Bank

East Meadow, NY (Sports Network) - Loren Roberts fired a bogey-free, seven- under 64 Friday to take the lead after one round of the Commerce Bank Championship.
Roberts birdied his last two holes, and five of his last eight, to take a one- shot lead over Eduardo Romero, who also played without a bogey to shoot six- under 65.
Lonnie Nielsen had a five-under 66 and was in third place, while Jay Haas, a four-timer winner this season, joined defending champion John Harris to lead a group of six players at 67.
Roberts began his round on No. 10 and made a run of birdies that left him at five-under around the turn.
His first birdie came from 10 feet at the 11th. He followed that with another at the 12th, then a four-foot birdie putt at the 14th.
All of them were set up with good approach shots into Eisenhower Park's fast greens.
"I was really able to play aggressively with my irons," said Roberts, who hit 17 greens in regulation to lead the field.
Once he was there, Roberts made putts.
He rolled in 12-footer at the 17th and a 15-footer at the 18th to make the turn with back-to-back birdies. Roberts added a two-putt birdie at the par- five third, then knocked a six-iron to three feet for his final birdie at the par-three fifth.
It was his first time playing competitively in three weeks, since he tied for 63rd at the PGA Tour's Stanford St. Jude Championship. His last start on the Champions Tour ended in victory four weeks ago at the Boeing Championship at Sandestin.
"I'm confident after winning at Sandestin. I'm rested and ready to go," he said.
Romero is coming off consecutive runner-up finishes -- behind Roberts at Sandestin and behind Denis Watson at the Senior PGA Championship. He told his caddie before the round that he believed four-under would be a good score Friday.
"So I'm really happy with six-under," said Romero, who had six birdies in a bogey-free round.
The players are tuning up for the U.S. Senior Open Championship next week, then the Senior British Open three weeks after that.