Singh lights up the Colonial on his return

GOLF DIGEST/USPGA TOUR:Vijay Singh stopped playing at the Colonial Country Club when Annika Sorenstam showed up in 2003. He's finally back and among the early leaders in Fort Worth, Texas.

Singh shot a six-under-par 64 yesterday, leaving him one stroke behind Woody Austin and Tim Clark midway through the opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Singh played this event in 1996, then from 1998-2002. He was scheduled to return in 2003, but withdrew after making comments critical of the decision to allow a woman into the field. The gallery mocked his absence that week, but folks seemed to have forgiven and forgotten yesterday.

Ian Poulter carded an opening 66. Starting from the 10th, Poulter birdied his opening hole and, after missing out on a birdie at the par-five 11th, made amends with another on the 12th.

The 33-year-old picked up another shot on the 16th to reach the turn in 32, and added a fourth on the third. His only setback came with a double-bogey six on the fifth, but he bounced straight back with a birdie on the sixth and added another on the eighth.

England’s Greg Owen carded an opening 68 while Justin Rose was one under par after 12 holes.

CHALLENGE TOUR:Stuart Manley took inspiration from the recent performances of his stablemates Michael Hoey, Shane Lowry and Ross Fisher as he fired a flawless six-under-par 66 for a share of the first round lead with Robin Swane in the Telenet Trophy.

The Welshman posted six birdies at Royal Waterloo, near Brussels, but Dutchman Swane picked up six shots in his last six holes, including pitching in with a nine iron from 144 yards for an eagle on the 14th, to tie at the top.

Having retained his European Tour playing privileges for 2009 by progressing through qualifying school, Manley is playing his first European Challenge Tour event of the season after a relatively slow start to the campaign.

During that time he has watched his stablemates with Horizon Sports Management enjoy greater success, with Hoey winning his maiden title in Portugal and Gareth Maybin finishing runner up in South Africa, while Fisher was second in last week’s BMW PGA Championship seven days after Lowry won the 3 Irish Open as an amateur.

Swane’s thrilling finish certainly saw him pull together the components of his game as he surged through the field.

The 30-year-old is relying on sponsors invitations after missing the cut at Qualifying School last November but he feels a strong finish is within his grasp.

François Calmels of France and Carlos Rodiles of Spain are both a shot behind the leaders after both posted an eagle – birdie finish.

A back nine of 33 helped Simon Thornton lead the Irish challenge with Graham Shaw after both finished on 70. Peter O’Keeffe is on level par 72, Noel Fox, Colm Moriarty and Michael McGeady on 73 with Alan Murray and Stephen Grant on 75.

GUI SENIORS: Andrew Stracey, from the Littlestone GC in Kent, swept into the lead after the second round in the Irish Seniors Amateur Open Championship, sponsored by the Algarve Tourist Board, at Bangor Golf Club.

A one handicapper, Stracey is playing in the championship for the first time having celebrated his 55th birthday last November, and following his opening round of level par 71 – which included three birdie twos – he followed with a sparkling one-under-par 70 in the second round for a 36-hole total of 141. Michael Quirke (Doneraile) and Nigel Duke (Killiney) are five shots off the pace on 146. Quirke added a second round of 73 while Duke, after a first round of 72, slipped to a 74.