Golf Capsules

September 25, 2009

ATLANTA -Sean OHair got a putting tip from Tiger Woods and put it to good use Thursday in the Tour Championship, opening with a 4-under 66 to take a one-shot lead in the final FedEx Cup playoff event.

Woods did all right himself. He recovered from a shaky start with three birdies during a four-hole stretch on the back nine at East Lake for a 67, leaving him one shot back along with Padraig Harrington and British Open champion Stewart Cink.

OHair played six times last week at home with his buddies. Far more valuable was the nine holes of practice he spent Wednesday with Woods, when the worlds No. 1 player gave him some advice on adding loft to his backswing and releasing the blade.

The tip seemed to work out on firm greens that were far tougher than the 30-man field could have imagined after so much rain.

OHair rolled in an 18-foot putt on the 14th hole for the last of his six birdies, and he made one from 55 feet earlier in the round. It was part of what he called a solid day, and it allowed the FedEx Cup possibilities to come to life.

OHair is the No. 7 seed and he knows exactly what has to happen for him to cash in on the $10 million prize - win the Tour Championship, and have Woods - who is in the best shape to capture the FedEx Cup as the No. 1 seed - finish in a three-way tie for second. Oddly enough, thats how the leaderboard shaped up after one day.

U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover had a 68, and only three other players managed to break par - Retief Goosen, Steve Marino and Dustin Johnson, who were at 69. Stricker, the No. 2 seed, was among those at 70.

CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge

DANVILLE, Calif. - Sophie Gustafson shot a 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge.

Gustafson, the Swede who won the last of her four career LPGA Tour victories in 2003, had eight birdies and a bogey on the Blackhawk Country Club course.

Sophia Sheridan, playing in her third event of the year, matched Angela Stanford and Na Ri Kim at 67. Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa was three strokes back at 68 along with 2006 winner Karrie Webb, Shanshan Feng and Kyeong Bae.

Jiyai Shin opened with a 72. She has a tour-high three victories, leads the player of the year and rookie of the year points races and also tops the money list.

Defending champion In-Kyung Kim struggled to a 73.

Casie Cathrea, a 13-year-old playing on a sponsor exemption after winning a qualifier Monday, made a hole-in-one on the 155-yard 12th and finished with a 74.

Vivendi Trophy

SAINT-NOM-LA-BRETECHE, France - Northern Irelands Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy beat Denmarks Soren Kjeldsen and Spains Alvaro Quiros 4 and 3 to help Britain and Ireland take a 3-2 lead over Continental Europe in the Vivendi Trophy.

Anthony Wall and Chris Wood routed Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson 6 and 5, and Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson edged Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson 3 and 2 for Britain and Irelands other victories at Saint-Nom-la-Breteche.

In the other matches, Anders Hansen and Francesco Molinari beat Robert Rock and Steve Webster 4 and 3, and Miguel Angel Jimenez and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano topped Ross Fisher and Nick Dougherty 2 and 1.