WORLD CHALLENGE: Padraig Harrington fired three birdies over the closing holes for a first round 68 to lie just one shot off the pace after the first round of the Target World Challenge at the Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks, California last night.
Sharing the lead at four-under-par 67 are Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, who also came with a late charge, Tiger Woods and former US Open champion Jim Furyk.
World number one Vijay Singh, after opening with four birdies, slipped away to a three-over-par 74.
First Round: 67 - C Montgomerie (Sco), J Furyk (US), T Woods (US) 68 - P Harrington (Irl), MA Jimenez (Spa), F Couples (US), 69 - J Hass (US), C DiMarco (US) 70 - C Campbell (US), D Love (US), C Cink (US), 73 - K Perry (US), J Daly (US), 74 - V Singh (Fiji).
CHALLENGE TOUR: Michael Hoey, who finished third in last week's Panasonic Panama Open behind Peter McEvoy, made a positive start to the Peru Open in Lima yesterday.
Hoey shot a first round of three under par 69 to share fourth place with Miguel Fernandez and Rafael Gomez of Argentina, England's Paul Dwyer and Gustavo Mendoza of Columbia.
Sebastian Fernandez of Argentina set the pace with a first round six-under-par 66 to lead by one from Carlos Franco and Daniel Vancsik.
David Higgins finished on one over par 73, Raymond Burns on 75 and Colm Moriarty on 76.
AUSTRALASIA TOUR: Brad Kennedy moved into contention in the MasterCard Masters at the end of a weather-affected first round at Huntingdale GC in Melbourne.
The 30 year old Australian carded a five under par 67 to lie in a share of third place before severe thunderstorms brought an early finish to the opening day's play just after 3pm local time. Half of the field are yet to complete their opening round and will do so this morning.
One of those is double Masters winner Bradley Hughes who was seven under par through 11 holes, one shot clear of the clubhouse leader, Robert Allenby, who posted an opening 66.
ASIA MASTERS: Jyoti Randhawa of India carded a career best round of nine under par 63 for a four stroke first round lead in the Volvo Masters of Asia, the Asian Tour's season finale.
Randhawa was in imperious form at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club and left the field in his wake, his nearest challenger after an opening 67 being fellow countryman Jeev Milkha Singh with England's Simon Dyson amongst a group of five players who began with 68.
Dyson, who won three titles in Asia in 2000, got off to a flyer with five opening birdies but cooled off a little on the inward half. The Englishman admitted he is looking to win to dedicate it to his brother Nick, who was meant to be caddying but who dislocated his shoulder in a mishap on Tuesday after falling from a golf buggy, and who has subsequently flown home.
