Singh stands atop Buick shoots into lead three-peat

GRAND BLANC, Mich. -- Vijay Singh shot 9-under-par 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Buick Open, with Tiger Woods lurking four shots behind.

Since winning consecutive tournaments three months ago, Singh has just two top-five finishes and was tied for 28th at the U.S. Open and for 20th at the British Open.

Singh, one shot ahead of Olin Browne and two in front of Mike Grob, fell two strokes short of the tournament record.

Defending champion Jim Furyk shot 66, and was tied for fourth with four others.

Woods got off to a slow start with only one birdie through eight holes before closing with four birdies in an eight-hole stretch.

WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN: In Sunningdale, England, Annika Sorenstam's strong start was not quite as good as Karen Stupples' opening round.

Stupples made seven birdies in a bogey-free 7-under-par 65, putting her three shots ahead of defending champion Sorenstam.

Sorenstam was in a group of five players at 4 under.

South Korea's Jung Yeon Lee is alone in second place after 67.

American Natalie Gulbis, Scotland's Catriona Matthew, Finland's Minea Blomqvist and Germany's Bettina Hauert are tied with Sorenstam.

WESTERN AMATEUR: In Benton Harbor, Mich., baseball great Mark McGwire carded 76, missing the cut by 15 strokes at the 102nd Western Amateur Golf Championship.

McGwire, 40, improved six strokes over his first-round 82 at Point O'Woods Golf and Country Club.

Nathan Smith of Soquel, Calif., leads the field at six-under 134.

Augusta State golfer Emmitt Turner shot a two-round total of 140, six back of Smith. Aiken's Kevin Kisner, a member of the University of Georgia golf team, played the first two rounds with McGwire. Kisner is tied for 13th at 1-under-par.

The low 50 scores and ties advanced to the next stage of the tournament consisting of 36 holes of medal play today on the 6,943-yard layout at Point O'Woods.

U.S. SENIOR OPEN: In St. Louis, still rehabbing from arthroscopic surgery, Peter Jacobsen made four birdies during a six-hole stretch on the back nine and shot 6-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead.

Craig Stadler had a bogey-free round and was second at 5 under. St. Louis area native Jay Haas birdied the final two holes to cap his 67.

SCANDINAVIAN MASTERS: In Loddekopinge, Sweden, European Tour rookie Johan Edfors shot 5-under-par 67 and was tied with England's David Howell after the opening round.

Jesper Parnevik, a former two-time Scandinavian Masters winner, shot 69.

Three-time winner Colin Montgomerie and defending champion Adam Scott matched 72s.

SKINS GAME: In New York, Sorenstam and Woods, golf's top-ranked players, will meet in the Skins Game in November.

They will be joined by defending champion Fred Couples and Scott on Nov. 27-28, at Trilogy Golf Club in La Quinta, Calif.