US Tour: Rory Sabbatini grabbed the early clubhouse lead in yesterday's opening round of the Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

The South African shot a flawless, six-under-par 66 to lead by one from three others who had completed their rounds, Nick O'Hern, Jonathan Kaye and Bo Van Pelt.

But others on the course were challenging Sabbatini, not least Woody Austin, who stormed out of the blocks with four birdies and an eagle in the first eight holes to get to six under.

But the American dropped a shot at the ninth to fall back to five under par alongside Adam Scott and Jeff Sluman.

Tiger Woods, who missed the cut last week, opened with a three-under-par 69 that included no dropped shots, while Ernie Els struggled to a one-over-par 73 with five bogeys on the card.

EUROPEAN WOMEN: New Zealand's Lynnette Brooky stormed into the first round lead at this week's €300,000 BMW Women's Italian Open.

The 38-year-old from Wellington fired an eight under-par 64 in the late afternoon sunshine at Sheraton Golf Parco de' Medici in Rome. She is a shot clear of France's Ludivine Kreutz, who had a 65 to finish alone in second on seven under-par.

Four players tied for third at six-under, including Ireland's Rebecca Coakley, who shot a 66.

Brooky had the best of the day out in the heat in Italy. Her faultless round included six birdies at the first, fifth, sixth, eighth, 11th and 17th holes and an eagle at the par five 14th hole, where she chipped in from six yards.

"I started on 10 and hit the worst drive I've ever had on Tour - a low duck hook along the ground - and I forced myself to play the next shot because I was terrified," she said.

"I just got myself back together and had a birdie on 11 and things just got better and better.

"I'm very tired but I felt relaxed and the putts just kept dropping."

WOMEN'S ITALIAN OPEN (at Sheraton Golf Parco de' Medici) - Leading first round scores: 64 - Lynnette Brooky (NZ). 65 - Ludivine Kreutz (Fra). 66 - Veronica Zorzi (Ita), Marta Prieto (Spa), Rebecca Coakley (Ire), Nicole Stillig-Gogele (Ger). 67 - Isabella Maconi (Ita), Trish Johnson (Eng), Ursula Wikstrom (Fin), Cecilia Ekelundh (Swe). Other: 76 - Hazel Kavanagh.