Wagner tied for the lead
Three others atop heap at Travelers
Johnson Wagner says he could shoot a 61 while playing the TPC River Highlands on his old
The actual course didn't give Wagner much more of a challenge yesterday in the Travelers Championship at Cromwell, Conn., when he shot a 6-under-par 64 to match Steve Lowery, Brad Adamonis, and Englishman Brian Davis for the first-round lead.
Seven players were a shot back, and another 16 shot 66s. Of the 156 players, 104 shot under par.
"We had no wind and it was just kind of there for the taking today with it being so soft," Wagner said. "But get a little wind and get this place firm and it's all you can ask for, so I'm happy to get a good round when I needed to."
Wagner, who is looking for his second career victory after winning in Houston earlier this season, eagled the 296-yard 15th after hitting his approach shot within 18 inches of the pin.
Lowery also won this year, at Pebble Beach in February. He was the first leader in the clubhouse, after playing his first golf in almost two weeks. Lowery decided to skip this year's qualifying for the US Open because he felt fatigued.
Adamonis, from nearby Cumberland, R.I., also eagled the 15th and had to overcome a heckler who yelled during his swing on the second shot on the 17th hole. Despite a bit of a mishit, the shot managed to clear the course's signature lake and land on the green, 25 feet from the hole.
"It must have been a Yankees fan," said Adamonis, a diehard Red Sox rooter. "I think I would have been a little more mad if it had hit the water."
John Huston, Peter Karmis, Justin Rose, Lucas Glover, Ken Duke, Tom Pernice, and amateur Michael Thompson shot 65s. Thompson, coming off a 29th-place finish in the US Open, had the shot of the day. His 199-yard approach on the par-4 10th hole found the cup.
"I'm here to have fun," he said. "There's no pressure, there's nothing to lose, just going out and playing golf and see how I do."
LPGA - Japan's Ai Miyazato, celebrating her 23d birthday, shot a 4-under 68 to join Cristie Kerr and five South Korean players atop the leaderboard at the Wegmans LPGA in Rochester, N.Y.
Jeong Jang, Inbee Park, Song-Hee Kim, Jimin Jeong, and Soo-Yun Kang, who holed a 9-wood for an ace on the 165-yard seventh hole, also shot 68s.
Morgan Pressel, Becky Lucidi, Sweden's Helen Alfredsson, and South Korea's Hee-Won Han, Na On Min, Kyeong Bae, and Young-A Yang opened with 69s.
Defending champion Lorena Ochoa, the No. 1 player in women's golf, carded an even-par 72 in cool, blustery conditions at the tight, tree-lined Locust Hill course, one better than Annika Sorenstam. Michelle Wie, who is ranked 200th in the world and received a sponsor exemption, shot a 71.
European - Four players shot 6-under 66 to share the lead after the opening round of the BMW International Open in Munich, and John Daly struggled to an even-par 72.
Australian Peter O'Malley, chasing his first European Tour victory since the 2001 English Open, had a bogey-free round to share the top of the leaderboard with South Africa's Anton Haig, Singapore's Mardan Mamat, and Rafa Echenique of Argentina.
Five players were a shot off the lead at 67, and six others shot 68. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Retief Goosen were three strokes back, while Colin Montgomerie and Paul Casey shot 70.
