NATCHEZ &8212; Neal Partridge had a first round at the Beau Pr/ Club Championship that was similar to that of Tiger Woods at the 1997 Masters &8212; a bad front nine and a great back nine.

Partridge stumbled out of the gate Saturday with a bogey on No. 2 and No. 3 and a double bogey on No. 4 and appeared to be heading in the wrong direction. But after a birdie on No. 5, his luck would change.

Six birdies and just one bogey on the back side allowed Partridge to shoot a 31 and salvage a round of 2-under-par 70 and a share of the lead with Trampus Butler in the championship flight.

&8220;I started off the first four holes shooting bad,&8221; Partridge said. &8220;I parred No. 1, but was 4-over through 4. I had a birdie on 5 and that&8217;s what turned things around. I started hitting the ball better and putted better.&8221;

Partridge began his back nine in style with birdies on Nos. 10, 11, 12 and 13. But a bogey on No. 14 could just as easily turned his round the other way. However, he didn&8217;t let that get to him and finished the round with birdies on 17 and 18.

&8220;I left myself too far out on 14,&8221; Partridge said. &8220;I left a couple of shots out there. The pins are accessible. The course is in good shape. The greens are rolling good.&8221;

Butler had a steadier round than Partridge. Butler had a birdie on No. 6 and a bogey on No. 9 for a front-nine 36 and then had birdies on 10, 14 and 18 to go with a bogey on 17 for his round of 70.

&8220;I played good. I&8217;m happy with 70,&8221; Butler said. &8220;I missed four putts from about 10 feet. I hit the ball better than I putted. We&8217;re used to playing the black tees. When you use the blue tees, it&8217;s a different game.&8221;

Six players are tied for third place with rounds of 1-under 71 &8212; Bill Byrne, Chee Chee Barnes, Stephen Hollingsworth, Jordan Farmer, Kurt Russ and Jeff Anderson.

Byrne knew that first hand. He had three birdies and two bogeys on the front nine to go with three birdies and three bogeys on the back nine.

Farmer also had a steady round with three birdies and two bogeys.

Russ had a chance to shoot in the 60s after going 3-under on the front nine. But a couple of bad holes on the back nine kept that from happening.