Grand China Air: American Laura Diaz shot a 9-under 63 yesterday to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA's first tournament in China.
Diaz, who played at Wake Forest in the 1990s, matched the best round of her career and capped it with a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th. She finished third last week in the Kapalua Classic in Hawaii and is trying for her first victory since 2002. South Korean Seon-hwa Lee was three shots back with a 66.
Diaz, a four-time Solheim Cup player, mastered the tough grain on the greens at the West Coast Golf Club in Haikou, rolling in 10 birdies and dropping only one shot.
She played with her brother and fellow golf pro Ron Philo as caddie. Her husband, Kevin, usually carries her bag but was home baby-sitting.
Frys.com Open: Arron Oberholser is making the most of his home-field advantage.
He said that he has played the Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club 75 times, and his last two rounds were among his best.
Oberholser shot a 6-under 64 for an 11-under 129 total and a one-stroke lead after the second round yesterday in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Australian Steve Allan, who also lives in Scottsdale, shot a 63 and was one shot behind at 10 under on the sun-baked 7,125-yard desert layout.
Brad Elder and George McNeill were 9 under after 63s.
Paul Goydos — the 2007 Sony Open champion — sank a 47-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to highlight an 8-under 62.
Goydos was tied with Aussie Mathew Goggin, first-round co-leader John Mallinger and Robert Garrigus at 8 under.
Billy Mayfair and Steve Elkington were among five players at 7 under.
Like Oberholser, Allan, Goggin, Garrigus and Mayfair live in Scottsdale.
Kevin Stadler shot a tournament-best 61, but still missed the cut after opening with an 81.
AT&T Championship: England's Mark James birdied the first six holes on the back nine and shot an 8-under 63 — the best round of his Champions Tour career — to take a one-stroke lead over Dan Forsman yesterday in San Antonio, Texas.
James, trying to avoid qualifying school, began the birdie run on the par-5 10th in warm and sunny conditions at Oak Hills Country Club.
Texan Keith Fergus opened with a 65. Dave Stockton shot his age at 66, matching Walter Hall and Gene Jones.
Stockton, coming off a fourth-place tie last week in Houston, shot his age for the third time in his career.
Jay Haas, third in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup standings entering the final full-field event of the season, was four strokes back at 67, along with Jeff Sluman, Craig Stadler, Bruce Vaughan, Gil Morgan and Tom Purtzer. Haas won the 2005 event and also took the Texas Open in 1982 and 1993 at Oak Hills.
The top 30 on the money list will earn 2009 exemptions and spots next week in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Sonoma, Calif.
Since winning the Allianz Championship last year, James, a former European Ryder Cup captain, has struggled. He has one top-10 finish this year and 57th on the Champions Tour money list.
James began his round with a bogey on the first hole, but came back with birdies on Nos. 3, 5 and 9.
He two-putted for birdie on the par-5 10th to begin the run. He made birdie putts of 8 and 18 feet on the next two holes, then hit approach shots to a foot on 13 and 14 for easy birdies. He then missed an eagle putt by inches on the par-5 15th.
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