CROMWELL, Conn. — Bubba Watson made himself right at home in the Travelers Championship — again. Watson shot an 8-under 62 Thursday to take a two-stroke lead in the event he won in 2010 for his first PGA Tour title. He has finished in the top 20 five times in eight previous starts at TPC River Highlands. It was the two-time Masters champion's lowest round in the event. “It's special,” Watson said about the tournament. “It was my first win and it's the same time that I announced to the world that my dad was passing with cancer. So, special in different ways.” New England native Keegan Bradley was tied for second with Jason Gore, Seung-Yul Noh, Brian Stuard and Harris English, who shot a 30 on the back nine. Eight players shot 65, and 12 more opened at 66. Ninety-three players were under par in the first round. Watson, playing late in the day, had four birdies on his final five holes. The two-time Masters champion just missed an eagle on the par-4 18th hole, hitting a 139-yard second shot that bounced into the flagstick and rolled 4 inches past the cup. His only glitch during that stretch was bogey on the par-3 16th, where he overshot the green, and chipped his second shot past the hole and into the fringe. He is trying to become the fifth golfer to win this tournament since 2000 after leading or being tied for the lead going into the second round. Bradley, put up an early 64, shooting a 31 on his front nine. English had just 22 putts. Ernie Els is making his first appearance in Connecticut since 2002 and was among those at 66. He said he normally heads to Europe after the US Open to prepare for the British Open, but decided to try to pick up a few more FedEx points this year. Argentina's Andres Romero won a Rolex watch during his round of 69 when he aced the 177-yard par-3 16th hole. Romero said he grabbed his 7-iron and decided to go for the pin after his caddie translated a sign about the hole-in-one prize next to the tee box. It was the third hole-in-one of the Romero's career, and he said now owns seven Rolex's. Martin Laird may have had the shot of the round when he holed out from 140 yards for an eagle on the par-4 17th hole, watching as ball cleared the water and the pin before rolling back into the cup. As many as nine spots for the British Open are available this week. Three-way tie for lead in Munich In-form Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello shared the lead on seven-under-par 65 with Dane Lasse Jensen and Daniel Gaunt of Australia after the BMW International Open first round in Munich Thursday. The 31-year-old Cabrera-Bello, who has finished fourth, 13th and second in his last three events, put in another good performance on a sun-drenched day at the Eichenreid Golf Club. Cabrera-Bello has won twice on the European Tour and lost out to Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti in a four-way playoff in last year's BMW event. Title favorite Henrik Stenson, the world No. 7, opened with a 67 but local hero Martin Kaymer struggled to a 72. — Agencies
