Round-up PGA TOUR: Ben Curtis, the man who took advantage of Thomas Bjorn's late collapse to win the 2003 British Open Championship, fired the lowest round of his career yesterday.

A nine-under-par 62 gave Curtis an early three-stroke lead at the Booz Allen Classic in Potomac while Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood could manage only 70 and 72, respectively.

The Dubliner, in contention at Winged Foot until he bogeyed the last three holes to finish two behind Ogilvy, admitted before teeing off: "I don't think I've ever been as tired, as deflated, from an event ever in my life. Normally, it wouldn't be that difficult to play the week after the US Open, but it is very tough when you're in contention right to the end."

Harrington turned in two under and was three under with three to play, but bogeyed the next two.

CHALLENGE TOUR: Justin Kehoe and Colm Moriarty got off to a fine start at the European Challenge Tour's Credit Suisse Challenge yesterady.

Kehoe carded a solid first round of three-under-par 70 and Moriarty a two-under 71 at the par 72 Wylihof Golf Club in northern Switzerland, but found themselves trailing runaway leader Juan Parron of Spain by some distance, after the 23-year-old from Almeria set a new course record with his nine-under-par 64.

Current British Amateur champion Brian McElhinney, meanwhile, opened his week with a level par 73, with john Kelly a further three strokes back after his first round 76.

LET TOUR: South Africa's Laurette Maritz and Australia's Anne Marie-Knight tied for the first-round lead at the Estoril Open of Portugal at Quinta Da Marinha Oitavos Golfe.

The pair tied for the lead on five-under-par 67 after a blustery day on the west coast of Portugal. Rebecca Coakley is on level par 72.