It took Jim Furyk and Justin Rose just 18 holes to wipe out any notion that Hamilton Golf and Country Club was going to punish the PGA Tour players once again.

Softened and defenceless after a week of rain, the venerable course looked vulnerable Thursday as the Canadian Open leaderboard was awash in red numbers.

Furyk's and Rose's names were at the top after shooting spectacular 7-under 63s, giving them a one-shot lead over Brandt Jobe, Nathan Green and Frank Lickliter II and a two-stroke margin over a group of five players that includes Jesper Parnevik.

``We were fortunate that it was soft,'' said Furyk, the top-ranked player here this week. ``I played a good round today . . . but I was obviously aided by the weather and the conditions.''

The leaders needed just one day to nearly equal Bob Tway's total winning score of 8-under from 2003, when the Canadian Open was last held at Hamilton.

The course is the exact same 6,983 yards, but it looks like a totally different layout than the one Tway won on by deftly handling fairways and greens that were slicker than oil.

``It is a completely different golf course,'' said Parnevik, who missed the cut in 2003.

While top Canadian pros Mike Weir of Bright's Grove, Ont., and Calgary's Stephen Ames struggled in front of the home crowd with matching 1-over 71s, Monday qualifier Victor Ciesielski of Cambridge, Ont., shined.

The 21-year-old university student shot a 68 in his first round at a PGA Tour event.

``It was pretty special,'' Ciesielski said.

Furyk and Rose took advantage of receptive greens for special rounds of their own.

They bettered Tommy Armour's 76-year-old professional course record by one stroke with the 63s. Warren Sye of Toronto shot a 62 during the 1991 Ontario Amateur for the overall best round at Hamilton.

When Parnevik went out early and made four birdies in his first five holes, it was clear that the field was facing a different test at Hamilton.

Furyk soon followed, holing a nine-iron from 120 yards for an eagle on the par-4 12th _ his third hole of the day _ before sprinkling in five birdies during a bogey-free round.

He walked off the 18th green hoping for sunshine to dry things up, but was aware that more rain is forecast for the weekend.

``It's not showing any signs of firming up,'' Furyk said with a touch of woe in his voice. ``When the golf course gets firm and fast it tends to spread the field out a lot more.

``It rewards good shots and hinders bad shots, whereas when it's soft you can kind of get away with some stuff.''

Rose found similar soft conditions in the afternoon and continued his hot play just a few days after his best finish of the season _ a tie for fourth at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

His round really got going on the third hole when he made a curling 35-footer for birdie. Rose then started striking his irons crisply and added six more birdies by taking dead aim at the flags.

He knows he'll need to keep being aggressive.

``All it is is a good start,'' said Rose. ``You're going to have to keep going forward.''

The 26-year-old from England doesn't mind if the Canadian Open turns into a birdie bonanza.

There isn't a hole he dislikes at the picturesque course and thinks that a soft Hamilton layout still offers a challenge.

``It's no pushover,'' Rose said. ``It commands respect even though it's playing soft right now.

``You've still got to shoot at some flags and stay away from others.''

Defending champion Mark Calcavecchia opened with a 4-under 66 and was just happy to be playing well on any golf course. The 46-year-old has struggled since his victory at Shaughnessy in Vancouver last season and is currently battling shoulder and back pain.

A return to Canada has been just what the doctor ordered.

``I'm just in a tournament that I love,'' he said. ``I've got a lot of pride to put up a good show and try and prove that last year wasn't a fluke.''

Notes: Green is a former Canadian Tour player and won an event in Sudbury, Ont., in 2000 . . . 2004 Canadian Open champion Vijay Singh opened with a 68 . . . Tway shot a 73 . . . American Tommy Armour III, grandson of the Silver Scot, played three holes and withdrew because of a shoulder injury . . . U.S. Ryder Cup player Vaughn Taylor birdied his last hole for a 79.

© The Canadian Press, 2007