GOLF Olazabal may have swing mastered

The two-time Masters champion shot a 7-under at the Bell South Classic.
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) -- Jose Maria Olazabal feels fine mentally. His swing just keeps getting in the way.
"When you hit three bad shots in a row and you get on the next hole and hit two more, it's not a matter of confidence," the two-time Masters champion said. "It's your technique."
He solved that problem -- for a day, at least -- and crafted a 7-under 65 Thursday to tie rookie Roger Tambellini for the lead after a blustery first round at the BellSouth Classic. They were one shot ahead of Craig Bowden, and two in front of Tim Petrovic and PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel.
In his first seven events this season, Olazabal missed three cuts and withdrew from the FBR Open. His best finish is a tie for 32nd at the Nissan Open, and he failed to qualify for the weekend at The Players Championship.
"I've been struggling with my irons," Olazabal said. "But my iron play today was excellent. I hit three iron shots that ended up less than a foot from the hole."
In contention
Adam Scott, who hung on to win The Players Championship last week, is three shots back in a group that includes defending BellSouth champ Ben Crane. Phil Mickelson is one more behind after a 69.
"I struggled early on, but I didn't drop any shots," Scott said. "I started playing nicely on the back. I'm pretty happy with that score. Seven-under is pretty deep out there."
Temperatures at the start of the day hovered around 40 degrees, with a brisk wind that made it feel much colder. Even though it warmed up a bit later, conditions stayed tough.
"It's almost like a round like this on days like this, you don't pick them, they kind of pick you," said Tambellini, who's previous best round this season was a 68 in the Buick Invitational.
Strong stretch
He got his round at the BellSouth going during a three-hole stretch late, a run that started with an eagle on the par-5 sixth, his 15th hole.
After a 316-yard drive, he hit a 3-wood into a sand trap just left of the green. The lie was well below the putting surface, so Tambellini didn't get to see his shot. The ball landed softly on the green and ran in for eagle, and he followed that up with back-to-back birdies.
"It was kind of a shock, actually," Tambellini said of his eagle. "I heard it hit the pin and everybody was cheering. Then, I felt really comfortable after that."
Petrovic seemed comfortable, too. He had a bogey-free round, and his game appears to be rounding into shape as he prepares for his first trip to the Masters.