ST LOUIS: Colombia’s Camilo Villegas and American SteveStricker were excited to be playing golf Friday for different reasons, and it showed as they moved to the top of the leader board after the first round lead at the BMW Championship.

Villegas, coming off a tie for third last week that allowed him to advance in the PGA Tour Play offs, continued his good form with eight birdies on the long, soft Bellerive Country Club course for a 5-under 65 that gave him a one-shot lead. The 26-year-old Colombian believes winning is a process, and it appears to be accelerating with each round.

Stricker was among five players tied for second after a 6-under 66. With him were compatriots Kenny Perry and Tim Herron, plus Argentina’s Andres Romero and Australian Stuart Appleby. Stricker made a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, with the resultant smile reflecting a lifting of the pressure under which hehad played for the past month.

Stricker, who was bumped out of automatic Ryder Cup qualification at the PGA Championship, began sweating over every poor shot, every missed putt, and he only exhaled Monday night when US captain Paul Azinger told him he was being selected. The burden lifted, he played some of his most relaxed golf of theyear Friday.

“It was a lot different than the last two weeks,” Strickersaid. “I did feel a little more at easy. I didn’t feel as much pressure on every shot. I felt a lot more relaxed,” he added.

PGA Tour officials breathed easier, too. The first round Thursday was postponed because of 3 inches of rain. The forecast called for the storm to pass in the afternoon, but it stubbornly stayed through Friday morning, with a light rain as players warmed up on the range. Even so, the course was in decent shape. Some tees were moved forward, and hole locations were on high ground. The course played every bit of its 7,324 yards, but firing at the flags was merely target practice.