PGA A tough day, but Price leads

Fred Couples and J.P. Hayes are one stroke back.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Nick Price watched his 40-foot putt climb a ridge and swing sharply to the left toward the hole. When it disappeared into the cup, he took off his cap in disbelief, turned to the gallery and smiled.
Price needed all the help he could get to stay on top Friday at the Wachovia Championship, finishing with a 1-under 71 for a one-stroke lead over Fred Couples and J.P. Hayes.
His drives kept landing in the rough. He hit only one green in regulation over the final eight holes, on the par-3 17th where he made the long birdie.
"A scruffy day," Price described it. "You have to drive the ball in the fairway here if you're going to break par. If my putting goes off a little bit and I play like I did today, I'm going to shoot 74 or 75. If I have one wish on the weekend, it's to hit fairways.
"If I can do that, I think I'll have a chance."
Tough course
Price was at 7-under 137, an indication that Quail Hollow is no pushover.
Rich Beem had just posted an even-par 72 to finish at 139 when a PGA Tour media official mentioned that no one went low among the early starters.
"Well, they shouldn't have," Beem said. "It was a grind. It was definitely a lot tougher today than it was yesterday, and I don't see the scores going very low this afternoon. You guys will probably be bored."
Hayes made sure that wasn't the case. He birdied four of his first six holes, and closed out the best round of the day -- 66 -- with a 5-iron into 15 feet for birdie at No. 9.
"My initial thoughts were this is very difficult," Hayes said of the 7,396-yard course. "And I still think it's very difficult."
Couples had back-to-back birdies and was at 9 under through his first seven holes until his round got away from him. He chunked a 6-iron on No. 17 (bogey). He hit under a tree on the 18th (bogey). He was too aggressive on the par-3 second hole (bogey) to slip out of the lead.
It got worse. He felt a back spasm on the fourth green, but worked out the kinks and closed with all pars.
"I'm very tired and sore right now, but I feel fine," Couples said. "Usually, I can play around it. This happens a lot, and I think because it was hot, I was able to kind of get out of there."
David Toms had a bogey-free 69 and was at 5-under 139 along with Beem, Charles Howell III (69), Brandt Jobe (69) and Robert Gamez (67).
Mike Weir, playing for the first time since winning the Masters, had to settle for a 70 and was at 142, five strokes out of the lead.