Duval Has Houston Lead After Starting With a 65
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David Duval doesn’t want to get too excited because there’s work to do, but he admits he enjoys the view from the top of the Houston Open field.
“I think a bit too much is made of first-round scores,” said Duval, who shot a seven-under-par 65 in Thursday’s first round to grab a two-shot lead over Curtis Strange.
“Obviously, you need to play well to try to keep up and keep pace. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. But it’s easier to play from being right near the lead early in the week than it is trying to catch up all week.”
Duval, who was third at Houston a year ago, missing a playoff by one stroke, started with four pars, then made birdies on seven of his next 12 holes at the Tournament Players Course at The Woodlands, just north of Houston.
Strange, a three-time winner in Houston who hasn’t made a cut since January, was alone in second place after his surprising round, which included an eagle.
Phil Blackmar flirted with the lead, getting to six under with two holes to play. But successive bogeys dropped him to a 68, three shots off the pace and tied with Hal Sutton, Kevin Sutherland and New Zealander Grant Waite.
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A new putter and new shafts produced better results for Tammie Green, who shot a six-under 66 for the first-round lead in the LPGA Sprint Titleholders Championship at Daytona Beach, Fla.
Green made five of her seven birdie putts from at least 15 feet on greens that rolled true throughout a sunny, breezy day on the LPGA International Course.
She led by one stroke over tour rookie Lisa Hackney of England and long-hitting Kris Tschetter.
Defending champion Karrie Webb missed three birdie opportunities early on and had problems keeping her drives in the fairway later, but she still managed to put together a four-under 68, tied with Dottie Pepper.
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South African Retief Goosen shot a course-record, six-under 66 to lead the Italian Open after one round.
Former Masters champion Ian Woosnam was second with a bogey-free 67 on the Gardagolf Country Club course at Brescia.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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