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Unlikely quartet lead at Travelers Championship

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng watches her tee shot at the eighth hole during the first round of the Wegmans LPGA International at the Locust Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, on Thursday. Tseng shot an even-par 72. PHOTO: AP

England’s Brian Davis and Steve Lowery were among an unlikely quartet sharing the first-round lead on Thursday at the US$6 million Travelers Championship.

Each of the four sharing the lead at six-under 64 — Davis, Lowery, Johnson Wagner and Brad Adamonis — has missed at least six cuts this season.

Lowery and Johnson have also won this year, Lowery at Pebble Beach and Wagner in Houston.

Lowery made the most of ideal scoring conditions at the TPC River Highlands, rattling off six birdies in a nine-hole stretch.

One-under through seven, he sparked his round with back-to-back birdies at eight and nine, then added three birdies in a row from the 12th.

Lowery, who did not play in the US Open at Torrey Pines last week, had missed the cut in six of his last 10 starts since beating Vijay Singh in a playoff at Pebble Beach in February.

England’s Justin Rose headed a group of seven players one shot back on 65.

Rose, who is still seeking his first PGA Tour win, had five birdies in his bogey-free round.

He was tied with Ken Duke, Lucas Glover, Michael Thompson, Tom Pernice, John Huston and South African Peter Karmis.

Singh, Stewart Cink and Kenny Perry were among 16 players in a logjam at 66.



WEGMANS LPGA

AP, ROCHESTER, New York

Japan’s Ai Miyazato, celebrating her 23rd birthday, shot a four-under 68 to join Cristie Kerr and five South Korean players atop the crowded leaderboard at the Wegmans LPGA on Thursday.

“I think it was a good start to my birthday. I want to win a tournament this year,” said Miyazato, one of the biggest female stars in Japanese sports history but winless in 56 career starts on the US LPGA Tour.

Jeong Jang, Inbee Park, Kim Song-hee, Jimin Jeong and Kang Soo-yun, who holed a nine-wood shot for an ace on the seventh hole, also shot 68s.

Morgan Pressel, Becky Lucidi, Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson and South Korea’s Han Hee-won, Na On Min, Kyeong Bae and Yang Young-a opened with 69s.

Defending champion Lorena Ochoa, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, carded an even-par 72 in cool, blustery conditions at the tight, tree-lined Locust Hill course, one better than Annika Sorenstam. Michelle Wie, who is ranked 200th in the world and received a sponsor exemption, shot a 71.

Sandwiched between two majors the US$2 million tournament drew 88 of the top 100 money winners. Among them were rookie Yani Tseng (72) of Taiwan, who won at the US LPGA Championship two weeks ago.



BMW INTERNATIONAL

AFP, MUNICH, Germany

Australia’s Peter O’Malley was the joint leader of the BMW International Open with three other players after shooting a first round 66 on Thursday.

The six-under round of O’Malley put him together with South African Anton Haig, Rafael Echenique of Argentina and Singapore’s Mardan Mamat.
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