Wind dies down, Hoffman heats up at Texas Open

Charley Hoffman took advantage of calm conditions Thursday afternoon to shoot a 5-under 67 and holds a one-shot lead heading into today’s second round of the PGA Texas Open in San Antonio.
Charley Hoffman took advantage of calm conditions Thursday afternoon to shoot a 5-under 67 and holds a one-shot lead heading into today’s second round of the PGA Texas Open in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO -- Charley Hoffman took advantage of calmer afternoon conditions to take the first-round lead in the wind-swept Texas Open, shooting a 5-under 67 on Thursday.

After wind gusts threatening 40 mph pummeled the morning starters, Hoffman faced steady 15 mph wind in the afternoon at TPC San Antonio. He had the lone bogey-free round, birdieing Nos. 2, 3, 9, 11 and 17.

The winner last year in Mexico at the start of the wraparound season, Hoffman has eight top-10 finishes in nine appearances in San Antonio. He was second in 2011 and third in 2013.

Aaron Baddeley was second after a 68. The Australian had a remarkable birdie on the par-4 17th when he snap-hooked his drive deep into thick woods, went back to the tee and holed out from 336 yards.

Max Homa had a 69, and Phil Mickelson and Ryan Palmer shot 70.

Mickelson, winless since the 2013 British Open, lost the clubhead off his 8-iron when it came flying off while he hit from a fairway bunker on the 12th hole.

With gusts reaching 38 mph early in the day, no one with a morning tee time managed to break par. Only Matt Kuchar and Cameron Percy matched it, and conditions might have been worse if not for maintenance crews slithering hoses onto some of the greens to water them down.

The stroke average for the morning wave was 78.61 and the overall average was 75.9.

From the 69 players in the morning, 23 failed to break 80. Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson managed to keep it in the 70s, but they had their struggles with the wind.

Furyk opened his day with a 52-foot birdie putt but shot 76. Johnson had a 78, his worst since shooting a first-round 80 before withdrawing last year from the Houston Open.

U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer had a two triple bogeys in an 82.

Defending champion Steven Bowditch opened with an 80.

Sam Burns, an 18-year-old high school senior from Sherevport who earned a spot in the field by winning the Junior PGA Championship last summer, carded an 89 with a quadruple bogey at No. 9.

Hoffman took the lead when he drove near the collar of the 17th green, chipped up and made a 6-footer for birdie.

Bryce Molder (Conway) had two birdies and three bogeys for a 1-over 73. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had two birdies and four bogeys for a 2-over 74.

Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had three bogeys and two double bogeys for a 7-over 79.

Graeme McDowell was one of three players from the morning wave who withdrew while shooting high numbers, citing injuries. McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, said his left ankle and foot were bothering him when he pulled out after a 5-over 41 on his first nine.

Sang Moon Bae (back) was 6 over through seven, and Colt Knost (thumb) had it at 9 over through eight with a quadruple bogey at No. 3.

LPGA

Lee at 7 under

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Mirim Lee birdied all four par-5 holes and finished with a bogey-free 7-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kia Classic.

Lee took the outright lead with an 8-foot putt on the par-5 fifth -- her 14th hole in her afternoon round at Aviara -- and hit a wedge to 3 feet to set up her final birdie on the par-5 eighth. The 24-year-old South Korean player won LPGA Tour events last year in Michigan and China.

Yani Tseng, winless in 70 starts since her victory in the 2012 event at nearby La Costa, had a 66.

Tseng finished with a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th after hitting a 150-yard shot from near a fairway bunker with the ball well above her feet. The Taiwanese player birdied Nos. 7-9, made a 20-foot eagle putt from the fringe on the par-5 10th, dropped a stroke on the par-4 14th when she missed a 3-foot par putt and rebounded with a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was two strokes back at 67 along with Karrie Webb, Cristie Kerr and China's Lin Xiyu. Ko, 17, has 10 consecutive top-10 finishes and has broken par in her last 25 LPGA Tour rounds and 28 worldwide.

Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had 7 birdies, 1 bogey and 1 double bogey for a 4-under 68.

EUROPEAN PGA

Saddier ahead by 1

AGADIR, Morocco -- Frenchman Adrien Saddier opened with an eagle and added five birdies in a 7-under round of 65 to lead Englishman Daniel Gaunt by one shot after the first round of the Trophee Hassan II.

Gaunt could have gone back to the clubhouse level with Saddier, or better, but bogeyed the 18th after birdies on the three previous holes.

"I was very grateful to get an invite to play here. This place is just unbelievable," said Saddier, who missed the cut at the South African Open in January. "It was a great start and I kept it going."

South African George Coetzee, Scotland's David Drysdale and Englishman Chris Wood were two strokes back after 67s.

Coetzee and former champion Marcel Siem of Germany need to win to claim a place in the Masters in two weeks. Coetzee had seven birdies but was undone by a double bogey on the eighth.

Siem, one of nine players at 4 under, eagled the 15th and also bogeyed the last.

He wants to avoid a repeat of two years ago. Then he led the Hassan II from start to finish, looked to have done enough to climb into the top 50 ranks and secure a first appearance in the Masters, only to miss out by .003 points.

"I won here two years ago and it still wasn't enough, which was horrible," said Siem, who had five birdies and two more bogeys. "I can make enough birdies so I just need to avoid the mistakes."

WEB.COM

Gibson leads Day by 2

Rhein Gibson blasted a 9-under 62 on Thursday in the opening round of the Louisiana Open at Broussard, La.

Gibson had two eagles to move into the clubhouse lead in the weather-delayed first round at Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club.

Gibson's round was good enough for a two-shot lead over Glen Day (Little Rock) and Cameron Wilson.

Whee Kim, Bronson Burgoon and Wes Roach finished with 6-under 65s and a share of fourth place.

Gibson started early Thursday and had completed 17 holes when the first delay came just after noon. After a 75-minute delay, he returned to the 18th hole but was unable to hit his second shot before horns sounded again announcing rapidly developing storms.

Scott Gardiner (Farmington) had three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey for a 1-over 72. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) and Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) were unable to complete their rounds.

Sports on 03/27/2015

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