MARKHAM, Ontario — New Zealand's Grant Waite followed two years of bad timing and bad luck in the Canadian Open by opening with an 8-under 64 to build a two-stroke lead Thursday.

        Waite made five birdie putts inside 15 feet on the back nine at Angus Glen to break away from a four-player group at 66 that included 1998 champion Billy Andrade.

        Two years ago, his 21-under 267 would have been good enough to win any of the 22 Opens held at Glen Abbey — except that Tiger Woods was one stroke better, thanks to that outrageous 6-iron from a fairway bunker over the water on the 18th hole.

        Last year was especially tough. He overslept, then got stuck in a massive traffic jam on his way to Royal Montreal and was disqualified after missing his first-round tee time by six minutes.

        Per-Ulrik Johansson, Neal Lancaster and Greg Chalmers joined Andrade at 66, and Vijay Singh, Rory Sabbatini, Carlos Franco and Frank Nobilo shot 67s. Canadian star Mike Weir had a 69, and defending champion Scott Verplank opened with a 74.

        European Masters

        CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland — Sweden's Robert Karlsson shot a 6-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the European Masters.

        English star Nick Faldo, Scotland's Paul Lawrie and Sweden's Mathias Gronberg opened with 66s, and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez topped a five-player group at 67.

        Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, the European Ryder Cup player who won the BMW International Open last week in Germany, shot a 69. British Open champion Ernie Els had a 70.

        Craig Stadler, the tournament winner in 1985, shot a 71, a stroke higher than 22-year-old son Kevin, playing his second pro event after winning the Colorado Open last weekend.

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