Golf

Mahan and Knox share Pebble Beach lead

PEBBLE BEACH, California — Hunter Mahan, who has long relished playing golf on the picturesque Monterey Peninsula, birdied five of his first seven holes on the way to a share of the first-round lead in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on yesterday.

The 30-year-old US player fired a sparkling 6-under 66 in mainly sunny conditions on the hosting Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of three venues being used for this week’s PGA Tour event.

In pursuit of his sixth title on the US circuit, Mahan mixed seven birdies with a lone bogey to end the day level with little-known Briton Russell Knox, who carded a 6-under 64 on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

South Korean Noh Seung-yul and Japan’s Ryuji Imada were among a group of six players knotted at five under while defending champion Phil Mickelson opened with a one-under 69 at Monterey Peninsula.

Former world number one Lee Westwood, making his first PGA Tour start of the year, was also in a buoyant mood after firing a 68 on the hosting Pebble Beach Golf Links in the company of his father.

Triple major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland opened with a level-par 72 at Spyglass Hill while US Open champion Webb Simpson returned a one-over 71 at Monterey Peninsula.

Twice Pebble Beach National Pro-Am champion Dustin Johnson made a poor start with a 3-over 73 at Monterey Peninsula and former world number one David Duval fared even worse at Spyglass Hill, battling to a 7-over 79.

Argentine Fabián Gómez carded a one-over 73 to be in 95th place, while compatriot Andrés Romero was 115th after a 2-over 74.

JOBURG OPEN. Germany’s Maximilian Kiefer and South Africa’s Richard Sterne each shot an 8-under 63 yesterday to share the lead after the first round of the European Tour’s Joburg Open.

Kiefer and Sterne both had bogey-free rounds on the West Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to move ahead of another South African, Bryce Easton, who had a 7-under 65 on the East Course. Peter Uihlein of the US was one of eight players tied for fourth at 6 under.

Kiefer had eight birdies while Sterne sank six birdies and an eagle on number nine on the par-71 West, continuing the fine early-season form that saw him finish second at the Dubai Desert Classic.

“You feel you need to put a good score together on the West Course and I did that,” Sterne said. “Now I’ve got three tough rounds on the East and hopefully I can give myself a chance on Sunday.”

Easton’s round was boosted by a hole in one on the par-3 12th on the longer, par-72 East Course. Uihlein had a single bogey on No. 17 on the West.

Defending champion Branden Grace and two-time winner Charl Schwartzel also began on the East Course, but both struggled for consistency. Schwartzel opened with a 68 for a tie for 25th and Grace finished with a level-par 72, thanks in part to a double-bogey six on No. 11.

AP, Reuters