WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Virginia – Vijay Singh and Jeff Maggert sent reminders that they're still able to compete with the younger crowd by posting strong opening rounds at the Greenbrier Classic Thursday. Singh had his best round in six months, shooting a 7-under 63, to take a one-stroke lead over Maggert, Jonathan Byrd and Martin Flores – and leave Tiger Woods eight shots behind. Sixty-two players broke par on the Old White TPC course, with the greens far more forgiving than last year when they were reseeded and Scott Stallings won at 10 under. Woods wasn't one of them. Coming off a victory Sunday in the AT&T National, he struggled with his putter in a 1-over 71 in his final tuneup for the British Open in two weeks. Saying the greens offered slower rolls than those in his past three tournaments, Woods needed 31 putts on the course he played for the first time Wednesday. Singh had his best effort since an 8-under 64 in the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January. Singh is playing in his ninth tournament in 10 weeks with two top-20 finishes in that span. Last week, he also got off to a fast start but shot 81 in the final round and tied for 49th. Singh earned the more recent of his 34 PGA Tour wins four years ago and will be eligible to join the Champions Tour in February. Maggert, a year younger than Singh, has had to earn his PGA Tour card through qualifying school in two of the past three years. He hasn't won since the 2006 St. Jude Classic and missed the cut in more than half his tournaments this year, including last week. Although he feels he has a disadvantage off the tee compared with younger players on the 7,274-yard Old White, Maggert used strong iron play to make four birdies on his front nine. Byrd has five career wins and already has five top-10 finishes this year. He hadn't played since the US Open and fought through a nagging cough to finish birdie-bogey-birdie Thursday. Flores had a rare bogey-free round that was his second best of the year. He spent the majority of 2011 on the Nationwide Tour, now called the Web.com Tour. Phil Mickelson matched Woods with a 71. Mickelson vowed to focus more on golf this time after taking advantage of the resort's numerous amenities with his family last year and missing the cut. Simpson, J.B. Holmes, Andres Romero and Garth Mulroy shot 65. K.J. Choi was among a group of seven at 66. Stallings birdied his final three holes for a 67.
Three share lead In Kohler, Wisconsin, Lizette Salas shot a 3-under 69 in the first round of the US Women's Open Thursday, grabbing a share of the lead along with fellow Americans Cristie Kerr, the 2007 Open winner, and Brittany Lincicome. Third-ranked Ai Miyazato, the Japanese star coming off a victory Sunday in the LPGA Tour event in Arkansas, was a stroke back along with 17-year-old Lexi Thompson, Jennie Lee and Beatriz Recari. Seven players — including No. 5 Na Yeon Choi and No. 6 Suzann Pettersen — shot 71 in hot and humid conditions that turned Blackwolf Run, a challenging 6,944-yard course in central Wisconsin, into a boiler. Defending champion So Yeon Ryu finished with a 74. Se Ri Pak, who won the Open at Blackwolf Run in 1998, shot a 72. Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 74. She would become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam with a victory this weekend. Michelle Wie also opened with a 74, and second-ranked Stacy Lewis shot 77. Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods' niece, had a 75. — Agencies
