LOS ANGELES — Dean Wilson has seen enough of the big hitters on the PGA Tour to realize there are tournaments that put him at a disadvantage. The Nissan Open is not one of them.

Wilson, a Castle High alum and the only golfer from Hawai'i on the PGA Tour, navigated his way around Riviera Country Club without a bogey for a 7-under 64, putting him atop the leaderboard yesterday with Justin Rose on a course that requires more than sheer length.

They were two shots clear of a group that included Fred Couples.

Wilson didn't reach any of the par 5s in two, but he made birdie on two of them with a wedge in his hand. Two weeks ago, he played in the group ahead of rookie J.B. Holmes and couldn't believe where some of those 300-yard drives were landing.

"It's a different ball game," Wilson said. "I'm trying to hit it a little farther. It's just not as easy as it seems."

Riviera appears to be a great neutralizer.

"I like to see where guys can mix it up, where you might have a guy that's not so long going against a guy that hits a long way," Wilson said. "It's tough to compete against the long hitters."