DUBLIN, Ohio — Mathew Goggin took only nine putts over his final nine holes Thursday on his way to a 7-under 65 and a one-shot lead over Jerry Kelly and two-time Memorial champion Kenny Perry.
Goggin holed out a bunker shot for birdie on the par-3 fourth, then ended his round with a 12-footer for par from off the green, giving him only 22 putts for his round.
Perry found the right speed and ran off six straight birdies on his way to a 66, also taking 22 putts. Kelly birdied four of his last six holes. Ten other players also managed to break 70 on a day when the average score was 73.7.
LPGA Tour
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — Tournament host Annika Sorenstam's even-par 72 left her seven shots behind co-leaders Karrie Webb and In-Kyung Kim, and tied for 60th at the Ginn Tribute.
People are also reading…
Sophie Gustafson was third after a 66. U.S. Open winner Cristie Kerr was in a group of seven who were another stroke back, at 67.
The event lost world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa earlier this week when she left to be with her sick uncle in Mexico, leaving Sorenstam as the marquee attraction.
European Tour
NEWPORT, Wales — Scott Strange made five straight birdies and shot an 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Edoardo Molinari after the first round of the Wales Open.
Strange played the back nine in 7-under 28.
Molinari had seven birdies for his 64. Jeev Milka Singh, Alvaro Velasco and Ricardo Gonzalez were tied at 65.
Because of heavy rain Wednesday, the course was shortened by 142 yards to a length of 7,210 yards.
Ladies Euro Tour
MUNICH, Germany — Michelle Wie shot a 4-under 68 in the first round of the Ladies German Open to share seventh place, four strokes behind Nina Reis.
Wie, 18, birdied three of the first five holes and made par the rest of the way at the Golfpark Gut Haeusern, north of Munich.
Reis had eight birdies, including the last two holes, for a bogey-free 64.
Lora Fairclough, who won this event in 1998, and Jade Schaeffer were tied for second, two shots behind Reis.
NCAA men
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Kyle Stanley shot a 4-under par 68 to help Clemson take a one-stroke lead over UCLA at the halfway point of the NCAA men's Division I championship.
Stanley birdied four of the first seven holes on Purdue's par-72 Kampen Course and had two more birdies on the back nine to offset a double-bogey 6 on No. 12. His two-round total of 140 was one stroke behind leader Billy Horschel of Florida, who finished Thursday's round at 5-under par 67.
USC, the top seed, was tied with UCLA after the first round Wednesday but dropped to third with a combined score of 591, one stroke behind the Bruins and two behind Clemson.
