US TOUR: World number one Tiger Woods fired a flawless six-under-par 65 to grab an early lead during the first round at the $5.5-million Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts, on yesterday.
Woods, who has two wins, three seconds, a third and a fourth from his last seven starts, is chasing his sixth victory of the season at the Tournament Players Club of Boston.
Carlos Franco of Paraguay was on 66 with Billy Andrade, Briny Baird and Steve Lowry (all US).
SENIORS TOUR: Eamonn Darcy was the leading Irishman on day one of the Bovis Lend Lease European Senior Masters yesterday, carding a level-par 72 on the Duke's Course at Woburn.
The 53-year-old former Ryder Cup player started with a bogey at the par-five first and dropped two more shots in his next six holes. But back-to-back birdies after the turn gave new impetus and he came home in two under.
Darcy already finds himself five shots off the lead held by England's Kevin Spurgeon and American Bob Boyd.
Northern Ireland's Paul Leonard, who won this event in 2002, had a day to forget as he came home in 78, while Eddie Polland carded a 75. The three other Irishmen in the field, John Curtis, Liam Higgins and Denis O'Sullivan finished four, six and eight over respectively.
Leading scores (par 72): 67 - B Boyd (USA); K Spurgeon (Eng) 68 - S Torrance (Scot) 69 G Cali (It) 70- H Carbonetti (Arg); J Hawkes (SA); M James (Eng); C Mason (Eng); S Owen (NZ) 71 G J Brand (Eng); L Carboneti (Arg); R Carrasco (USA); D Good (Aus); M Gray (Scot); N Job (Eng); P Oakley (USA); M Piñero (Sp); E Rodriguez (Sp); H Woodrome (USA)
CHALLENGE TOUR: Belfast's Michael Hoey put together a brilliant back nine of six-under-par 29 to move into a share of the halfway lead at the European Challenge Tour's BA-CA Golf Open.
The former British Amateur champion began his round of 64 from the tenth tee at the Fontana Golf Club, outside Vienna, and went to the turn in one under before his explosive finish saw him post an 11-under aggregate of 131 to share the lead with Austrian Clemens Prader.
David Higgins was the only other Irishman to make the halfway cut.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Hale Irwin and Dana Quigley of the US shared the clubhouse lead on six-under-par 66 with roughly half the first-round cards in at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open in Pebble Beach last evening.
Ireland's Mark McNulty shot an excellent 68 to remain in close touch, tied-fifth, while Des Smyth, one of the late starters, was one under after four holes.
WOMEN'S TOUR: England's Lora Fairclough leads by three shots over Sweden's Cecilia Ekelundh after the second round of the Nykredit Masters at Kokkedal GC, in Denmark.
The 35-year-old fired a three-under-par 69, after her opening 65, to sit at 10 under par.
