Canadians Weir, Ames in charge in Hawaii

KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Mike Weir holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 6-under 67 and a one-shot lead over fellow Canadian Stephen Ames and Jonathan Byrd at the Mercedes-Benz Championship on Friday.

Ames, the only player in the field who actually lives in Canada, fixed a flaw in his putting stroke and also shot 67, making birdie on three of his last five holes despite missing a 6-footer along the way.

Weir, raised in Bright's Grove, Ontario, now lives in the U.S. and played only one full round of golf last month when he went to San Diego to check on equipment. Ames was born in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to Calgary in 1991, becoming a naturalized citizen in 2003. He hasn't played since winning the Skins Game a month ago, and during his 10-day vacation on Maui, played only 18 holes over two days with his sons.

And here they are on an island in the Pacific, their names atop the leaderboard in the first tournament of the year.

"That's odd," Weir said. "We're probably the least ready for it. There might be something to that."

Canadian tourists on the west coast of Maui won't be hard to find on Saturday.

Mike Weir chips to the 18th green on the way to a 6-under 67. (AP)

Byrd made birdie on his last two holes for a 69.

Brandt Snedeker was atop the leaderboard for most of the round for the second straight day until faltering late. This time it wasn't a broken driver but a faulty putter. He had a 15-foot birdie for a share of the lead, but three-putted for a 69 that left him two shots back.

Nick Watney, who led the first round after a 68, made two late birdies for a 72 and was at 6-under 140 with Snedeker.

The best round belonged to Mark Calcavecchia, certainly no flat-belly but in much better shape for the Plantation Course at Kapalua after hiking up South Mountain outside Phoenix to get his legs in shape. He hit every green in regulation, three-putted twice, but still made nine birdies in his round of 66 and was at 5-under 141.

What helped more than a steady heartbeat was the weather.

Clouds drifted across Kapalua for most of the day, but there were no steady blasts of showers until the end of the round. The wind wasn't nearly as severe, either, and it reflected in the scoring.