Golf roundup
Fuzzy, Streck lead Senior Players Championship DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) – Jay Haas was content opening the Senior Players Championship with a 68, though he predicted his stay near the top of the leaderboard would be short.
In the afternoon, two players did exactly what Haas expected.
Fuzzy Zoeller and Ron Streck shot a 7-under 65s on Thursday, taking the first-round lead at one of the Champion Tour’s five majors.
Following the U.S. Senior Open last week at the unforgiving Prairie Dunes in Kansas, Zoeller and Co. enjoyed firing at pins after sending drives into fairways.
Heavy rain soaked the TPC of Michigan earlier in the week, making the Jack Nicklaus-designed course ready to surrender birdies.
“When you get our age, 50 and over, standing at 125 yards with a pitching wedge knowing when it hits it’s not going to go 135 yards because of the green, that’s an advantage,” Zoeller said. “The greens are very receptive because they are soft.
“The fairways look like they’re 90 miles wide.”
Jim Thorpe, Bruce Lietzke and Scott Simpson shot 67s, leaving them two strokes back in the third of five majors – and the second of three straight – on the Champions Tour.
Allen Doyle, coming off his second consecutive U.S. Senior Open title, was in a group of six at 68 that included Haas and Tom Kite. Tom Watson and Fred Funk were another stroke back, and defending champion Peter Jacobsen shot a 70.
Though he tied for 23rd in the U.S. Senior Open, Zoeller said he played well in spurts and that helped him feel confident about playing an easier course.
Zoeller had only one bogey and eight birdies, one with a 36-foot putt, for a round strong enough to catch Streck, who surged to the top of the leaderboard with five straight birdies – one short of the tournament record – from Nos. 13-17.
Neither co-leader has had much success this year.
Zoeller has just a pair of top-10 finishes this season. Streck’s top performance was a tie for 29th in the 35-player MasterCard Championship at the start of the season. After missing the cut last week, Streck headed to Tulsa, Okla., and didn’t exactly hit the driving range.
Jamie Farr Classic
SYLVANIA, Ohio – Liselotte Neumann didn’t mind being far from the center of attention in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
Surrounded by groups that included Hall of Famers and fan favorites Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez, Neumann shot a 6-under 65 to take the first-round lead.
Sung Ah Yim, Reilley Rankin and Michelle Estill opened with 66s and 18 players were within three shots of the lead, including four-time tournament winner Se Ri Pak.
“This golf course is always great for me,” Pak said after her 68.
Neumann birdied three of four holes after making the turn and finished her round with a birdie. She was consistent all day and stayed away from any bogeys.
“I putted very, very good today and drilled the ball,” said Neumann, the 40-year-old Swede who won the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles in 2004. “There were plenty of people there to cheer me on.”
Sorenstam, making her first appearance at the Farr since 2001, was four shots behind the leader after a 69.
Scottish Open
LUSS, Scotland – British Masters champion Johan Edfors and Scotland’s David Drysdale topped the leaderboard at the Scottish Open after shooting 6 under in the first round.
Darren Clarke and Miles Tunnicliff were one back after each shot 5-under 66. Jose Maria Olazabal shot 67 and was two back with Raymond Russell, Andrew Butterfield and David Bransdon.
David Howell, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, Paul McGinley and Lee Westwood shot 69. Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Ian Poulter were among those at 1-under 70. Sergio Garcia shot 71 and Colin Montgomerie 72.
Former Masters champion Fred Couples withdrew before play began with a back problem.
“I couldn’t have even walked down the first fairway, let alone play,” Couples said “Every time I get up I feel like I’m going to fall down. It’s not very good.”