Smyth keeps leaders in sight

SENIORS OPEN: Des Smyth is just one shot off the lead after an opening round of four-under-par 66 in the Seniors British Open at Turnberry yesterday.

American Peter Jacobsen posted an early target for the field when he overcame a painful hip problem to card a 65. But he had to settle for a share of the lead when Craig Stadler and Loren Roberts matched their countryman's effort late in the day.

Smyth, who shares fourth place with Tim Simpson, had five birdies and just one dropped shot in his 66.

Mark McNulty is on 68 while Eamonn Darcy, after a promising first nine of 32, dropped five shots on the homeward journey for 71, the same mark as Jimmy Heggarty. Denis O'Sullivan is a shot back on 72 with Arthur Pierse on 73, Eddie Polland 74, Adrian Morrow 76 and Billy Todd 85.

Evergreen Gary Player shot 69 to beat his age by a year and claimed: "Of all the times I have done that, this gives me the most satisfaction because Turnberry is among my top-20 favourite courses."

Tom Watson, winner at Turnberry in 2003 and Royal Aberdeen 12 months ago, made a faltering start to his defence when he carded a 73. Watson said: "It wasn't a good day but 73 is not all the way out of it.

"This golf course is playing a little tougher than three years ago, with all those bunkers in the way, and I got what I deserved."

LET TOUR: Michelle Wie, Lorena Ochoa and Karrie Webb seized a tie for the lead after the second round of the Evian Masters in France yesterday.

The world numbers two, three and four respectively were on a total of nine-under-par 135 with a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the tournament.

Wie, looking for her first professional victory, had a flawless six-under-par 66 for the joint best score of the day with the Karen Stupples.

The 16-year-old from Hawaii birdied six of the first 11 holes to set the target of nine under par. Webb, the three-time British Open Champion, went out in 31 and made another birdie at the 10th. But she double-bogeyed the 13th and dropped another shot at the 16th.

Ochoa had a 69 yesterday, retaining the overnight lead she shared with Mi Hyun Kim and Shani Waugh after the first round.

Kim fired a second round 71 to slip into fifth position on seven-under-par, while Waugh had a 73 to move into a tie for ninth with Laura Davies on five-under. An eagle three at the last where she chipped in from the edge of the green helped Waugh's campaign.

PGA TOUR: Corey Pavin set the PGA Tour's scoring record for nine holes when he shot a 26 on the front nine on his way to a first round nine-under-par 61 at the US Bank Championship in Milwaukee yesterday.

Pavin, who was eight under at the turn, broke the mark of four other players who had shot a 27 through the first nine holes, including Andy North and Robert Gamez, both participating in the tournament at the par-70 Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

Mike Souchak (1955), North (1975), Billy Mayfair (2001) and Gamez (2004) all equalled the mark, but Mayfair and Gamez both made the turn at nine under.

Pavin birdied the first six holes, then needed two putts at the par-three seventh after pushing his ball past the hole. He rebounded with birdies on eight and nine, first by hitting a firm putt that dropped in the centre of the cup, and then watching his putt on the ninth slow to a near stop before falling in.

Pavin added just one more birdie at the 16th to lead by three from Arjun Atwal and four from Skip Kendall, Cameron Beckman and David Frost.