Pebble Beach, Calif. ? Brent Schwarzrock must have taken a few tips from Davis Love III on how to play the front nine at Pebble Beach.

After starting on No. 10 and not getting much out of his round, Schwarzrock played his final eight holes in 8 under par and finished with a 64, giving him a two-stroke lead Thursday in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Matt Gogel watches his tee shot on the third hole of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Gogel was two strokes off the lead after firing a first-round 66 Thursday in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Schwarzrock’s 28 on the front nine tied the record at Pebble Beach, last set a year ago by Love, his mentor on the PGA Tour and his neighbor on Sea Island, Ga.

“I want to pick up tomorrow where I left off today,” Schwarzrock said.

Matt Gogel, who squandered a seven-stroke lead over Tiger Woods two years ago, put himself in position for another chance with a 66 at Pebble Beach. Gogel, a former Kansas University golfer, was joined by Q-school winner Pat Perez, who got his 66 at Poppy Hills.

Woods used a Nike Golf driver for the first time in competition, but what he really needed was a chainsaw.

Trees cost him a chance at three birdies on the par 5s at Poppy Hills, and Woods kept alive his streak of never breaking 70 on Poppy the one course that figures to set up perfectly for him because of its five par 5s.

He was 4 under through seven holes but finished with a 70, and only a few complaints.

“That’s great for me around this golf course,” he said.

Jeff Julian, who is dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease and received a sponsor’s exemption, had a great start to his round by making birdie at No. 10 on Pebble Beach. He finished with a bogey, double bogey and another bogey for a 77.