BRAD FAXON tied the first-round tournament record, firing a seven-under-par 63 yesterday for a one-stroke lead at the Colonial golf tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. Tiger Woods, was four shots adrift on 67.

Faxon, one of the hotter players on the PGA Tour, capped his bogey-free round with back-to-back birdies and leads Paul Goydos, Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk by one shot apiece. Faxon tied the mark for the best opening round in tournament history, set by Bruce Lietzke in 1980.

Bob Tway, Brian Henninger and David Duval are two shots back after first-round 65s. Jeff Sluman, Lanny Wadkins, Larry Rinker, Tommy Tolles, South African David Frost and David Ogrin, are one stroke back at four under 66.

Faxon followed up his win at the Freeport-McDermott Classic with back-to-back second-place finishes at the MCI and Greater Greensboro Classics. He's fourth on the PGA money list with $832,820. "It was a good round. I had everything go right," Faxon said. "I only missed two greens. This tournament last year kind of kick-started my whole year, I think. I finished 15th and then made a lot of top I0s after that."

Fuzzy Zoeller, playing for the first time since making controversial race-related remarks about Woods during the Masters, also is well off the pace on 71.