GOLF: Steve Lowery set the early pace with a 65 at the US Tour Championship at East Lake Country Club in Atlanta yesterday but was joined late in the day by former Masters champion Vijay Singh.
Lowery, who shot a 60 in the pre-tournament pro-am, continued his outstanding form of the last few months in windy conditions on a rain-soaked course. He shot four birdies in a blemish-free front nine of 31 and came back from a bogey at the 10th to record further birdies at the 15th and 17th for a five under par round of 65.
That looked like being good enough to lead in the difficult conditions but Singh caught him with a birdie two at the demanding 235 yards par three closing hole. The effort capped a bogey free round which included other birdies at the fifth, ninth, 10th and 15th.
Charles Howell was alone in third place after a four under par 66 while Fred Funk was a stroke further back on 67.
World number one Tiger Woods and number two Phil Mickelson, playing together both bogeyed the closing hole, Woods for 71 and Mickelson for 70.
Lowery, who barely got into the field which comprises the top 30 players on the US moneylist, said of his pro-am round: "It was a round where I just hit the ball really well, and I just think I hit almost every fairway and every green, and, yeah, it gave me a lot of confidence coming into today. I felt like this golf course, you could shoot a low score on it."
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