Jeff Brehaut follows the flight of his tee shot on the fifth hole. Brehaut shot a 6-under-par 65 in the Chrysler Championship on Thursday in Palm Harbor, Fla.

PALM HARBOR, FLA. ? When last seen at Innisbrook, Jeff Brehaut was an emotional wreck until making a slippery four-foot birdie putt on the last hole that made his road back to the PGA Tour much easier.

One year later, Brehaut still was making big putts Thursday in the Chrysler Championship – five birdies, one eagle and a momentum-saving par – that carried him to a 6-under 65 and a two-shot lead as he kept alive his hopes of getting into the Masters or even the Tour Championship.

Charles Howell III did little to hurt his chances of getting to East Lake next week for the season-ending Tour Championship. Coming into the tournament at No. 30 on the money list, he took advantage of the par 5s and kept bogeys off his card for a 4-under 67.

Retief Goosen had a tap-in eagle to start his round and had a two-putt birdie on the par-5 11th set up by a 2-iron from a tight lie that soared high into the air from 257 yards, a shot not many players at Innisbrook can hit. He also wound up with a 67, joined by Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, Ben Crane and Dean Wilson.

Lucas Glover, coming off his first victory last week at Disney, and Davis Love III were among those at 68.

Former Kansas University golfer Matt Gogel shot a 2-over-par 73 and was eight shots back.