Former world No. 1 Luke Donald, stung by his failure to qualify for this month's Masters, was pleased to produce a straightforward 66 Thursday for a share of the RBC Heritage first-round lead. "It was a pretty simple 66," said England's Donald, who had six birdies and a bogey in a five-under effort that left him tied with South Africa's Branden Grace at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina. They had a one-shot lead over a quartet of players led by world No. 1 Jason Day of Australia and including Sweden's David Lingmerth and Americans Matt Kuchar and Tony Finau. "I didn't have to scramble very hard and was able to just put it in good positions," added Donald, who rolled in birdie putts of 15 feet, 16 feet, six feet and five feet. That's a step in the right direction for a player who said attempts to rebuild his swing had ultimately hurt his game, costing him sharpness in his short game and putting. Harbour Town might be just the place for Donald to reverse his fortunes. He owns five runner-up finishes in the Heritage, the most heart-breaking a defeat to Matt Kuchar's chip-in from a bunker two years ago. Grace, playing the Heritage for the second time, also fired six birdies and a bogey to grab his share of the lead in tricky, windy conditions. "It was not the best ball-striking day, but nothing's easy on a day like today with the wind blowing all over the show," Grace said. Day's five birdies included a 27-footer at the par-four 11th. He fell out of a share of the lead with his only bogey of the day at 18, where he took an unplayable lie in a greenside bunker. Lee vaults into Lotte lead Australian Min-Jee Lee vaulted into sole possession of the lead at the LPGA Tour's Lotte Championship after a bogey free round Thursday. Lee shot a sizzling six-under 66 at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Oahu, Hawaii for a 10-under 134 total. She finished with six birdies including one stretch of five in six holes, beginning on the par-three eighth. Lee got off to a good start with a birdie on the first and then made six straight pars before her birdie run, which straddled the turn. Her five birdies in six holes moved her to 10-under. Lee closed with five pars to hold the 36-hole lead for the second time in her young career. Katie Burnett is two shots back at eight-under after a second round 66, while Jang Su-yeon is in third place at seven-under. — Agencies
