KAUPULEHU, KONA, Ha-wai'i — Playing in the final group and facing a leaderboard jammed with low scores, Bernhard Langer drew inspiration by watching another shootout across the Pacific at the Bob Hope Classic.

"I saw them (on TV) shooting the lights out there, so I'm thinking, 'Hey, we used to do that,' " Langer said.

Langer had seven birdies on the back nine on his way to an 8-under-par 64 and a share of the lead with Brad Bryant yesterday in the Champions Tour's season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at the Hualalai Golf Club.

Langer, the tour's player and rookie of the year, was 1 over through six holes, then birdied nine of his last 12 holes in the first round.

"I just got into the groove," he said.

After hitting out of the greenside bunker and sinking a 12-foot putt to save par on the par-4 sixth, Langer turned to his caddie and said, "We've got to stop the bleeding."

"At that point on, they all went in," Langer said.

All seven of his birdie putts on the back nine were all within 10 feet. His round could've been even better, but he missed a 15-footer for eagle on No. 7 and a 14-foot birdie try on No. 9.

The two-time Masters champion is coming off a three-win season when he was the lone player to break $2 million in earnings.

Both Langer and Bryant each had a bogey and nine birdies in their rounds.

"You better be rolling your rock this week," Bryant said. "We had a nice calm day. The greens are perfect. It's going to be a birdiefest if stays this way."

Hale Irwin, who turns 64 in June and is the second oldest player in the winners-only field, opened with a 65 to match Jeff Sluman and Jay Haas.

R.W. Eaks, who carded a rare double eagle, was at 66, along with Tom Kite. They were a stroke ahead of Jerry Pate and Andy Bean.

Bryant is coming off his first winless season in three seasons, but broke the $1 million mark for the third straight season with seven top-10 finishes.

He also led after the first day in 2007 with an opening 63. He finished tied for fifth in that event.

After birdieing four of six holes to make the turn at 32, Bryant birdied three of four holes to start the back side. He took the outright lead by holing a curling 21-foot left-to-right putt on the par-4 16th.

Langer, playing in the last group with Haas, hit a wedge from 110 yards to set up an 8-foot birdie on 18 to tie Bryant.

Irwin is trying to become the oldest winner in the tour's 30-year history. Mike Fetchick won the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational on his 63rd birthday.

Irwin has won nine official events in the Islands, including twice at Hualalai, where he is making his 14th straight appearance.

The 45-time Champions Tour winner won here in 2007 and 1997.