LOS ANGELES — Justin Rose had an easy time figuring out Riviera Country Club, which is more about position than length. He missed only three greens — barely — never sniffed a bogey and wound up tied for the lead with Dean Wilson.

But when it came time for the trivia question, the 25-year-old from England was lost.

Who was the last Englishman to win a 72-hole event on the PGA Tour?

"Faldo? Did he win in '95 or '96?" Rose said, a reference to Nick Faldo and his '96 Masters victory.

Faldo's last PGA Tour victory was the Nissan Open at Riviera, although that wasn't the correct answer. Lee Westwood won in New Orleans a year later.

All of this is significant because Rose would dearly love to end the eight-year drought, and he certainly put himself in position with a tidy round of 7-under 64, leaving him atop the leaderboard with Wilson.

They were two shots clear of former Nissan Open champions Fred Couples and Billy Mayfair, along with Jesper Parnevik and Bob Estes, who was tied for the lead until finishing with back-to-back bogeys in the twilight over Riviera.

Couples was so sick that he stayed in bed Monday and Tuesday, skipped the pro-am Wednesday and wasn't sure he would be able to play Thursday — or if he wanted to after he found his hands shaking on a 4-foot par putt at his first hole — but managed to turn it around. And then he went straight home to bed.

Joining him in the sick bay were Tiger Woods, who couldn't answer a question without sneezing. He felt worse than he scored, overcoming a double bogey with four birdies in a five-hole stretch at a 69 at his hometown tournament, and the only place he has competed more than three times without winning.

Also sniffling his way through his round was Ernie Els, who made his '06 debut on the PGA Tour with some solid birdies and two sloppy mistakes at the end that dropped him to 70.

David Duval finally got off to a good start at 68, including a nifty save on the ninth.

Rose, meantime, scored on his second piece of trivia without even being asked the question.

"I think it's a long time since the Europeans won a major, too," he said.

That's another streak he'd like to break, although that's still two months away. For now, Rose wants to keep improving and give himself another chance at winning his first PGA Tour event.

He comes from the same generation of Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott — all born within about a year of each other, but the other having far more success.

Scott has won four times on the PGA Tour, including a 37-hole victory at Riviera last year that doesn't count because it only lasted two rounds and one playoff hole. Garcia is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, along with 10 victories worldwide and already three appearances in the Ryder Cup.

Rose believes his talent is equal.

His path began at Royal Birkdale in 1998 when he chipped in on the last hole of the British Open as a 17-year-old and tied for fourth, turned pro the next week and missed 21 consecutive cuts.

"I've grown up with those guys," Rose said. "I rate myself every bit as good as them. Obviously, results speak. There is no doubt those guys have done fantastically well. If I look at it from an ability standpoint, there is no reason" why he shouldn't win.

It is safe to say he has the game for Riviera, but then, just about everyone does.

The classic design off Sunset Boulevard allows for a variety of players to succeed — shotmakers and short games, guys who hit it long and those who hit it short.

"Even if you don't hit it a mile, you've got a chance," Chad Campbell said after a 67, a good start for him after losing the playoff to Scott a year ago.

Asked where he put himself among long hitters, Campbell compared himself to a medium steak left on the grill for an additional two minutes. Then he left to get something to eat.

Wilson knows all about length — not that he has it, but he has seen it. He played in front of J.B. Holmes two weeks ago in Phoenix, and didn't have to look far behind to see some of the rookie's mammoth tee shots.

"It's incredible just watching those guys hit the ball, how much farther it's getting out there," Wilson said. "It's a different ballgame. It's tough to compete against long hitters. You may be able to get them over 18 holes, but 72 ... it's pretty tough."

Alas, the Nissan Open is not one of those tournaments where it matters. Wilson didn't reach any of the par 5s, but made birdie on two of them with a wedge in hand. He was more concerned about position than power.

He doesn't feel out of place at Riviera.

"That's one of the great things about a course like this," he said. "I like to see where guys can mix it up."