VERONA, N.Y. --- Evans resident Vaughn Taylor, who needs to make up some ground in the PGA Tour's five-tournament Fall Series, is off to a strong start in the first event.

Taylor, who is fighting to keep his PGA Tour card for 2010, shot 5-under-par 67 on Thursday in the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

He's one shot behind the leaders, rookie Leif Olson and Tim Petrovic. Former Georgia Tech star Matt Kuchar and John Senden joined Taylor at 67.

Taylor enters the Fall Series in 131st place on the money list. The top 125 at the end of the season keep their playing privileges for next season.

Adam Scott, Scott Gutschewski, Kevin Stadler, Ken Duke, Jimmy Walker, Nicholas Thompson and Matt Jones shot 68s. Defending champ Dustin Johnson, who grew up in Columbia, birdied his last two holes for 69.

Augusta native Charles Howell also shot 69 after four birdies and one bogey.

The round was stopped because of darkness.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: In Timonium, Md., Lonnie Nielson shot 5-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Tom Watson and Jay Haas in the Senior Players Championship, the last of the Champions Tour's five majors tournaments.

Sandy Lyle opened with 67, and Bob Tway, Dan Forsman, Eduardo Romero and Mike Reid shot 68s.

Augusta native Larry Mize had 70 and former Augusta resident Allen Doyle shot 72.

LPGA TOUR: In Prattville, Ala., Janice Moodie shot a bogey-free 8-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead over 14-year-old Alexis Thompson in the Navistar LPGA Classic.

Michelle Wie and top-ranked Lorena Ochoa are two strokes back.

Moodie, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, played her final nine holes -- the front nine on The Senator course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Capitol Hill complex, in 6-under 30. She birdied her final four holes and six of her last seven.

Thompson tied for 34th in July in the U.S. Women's Open.

Wie eagled the par-5 fifth and had five birdies and a bogey.

- State Farm Insurance Cos. has renewed its contract to sponsor the LPGA's annual tour stop in Springfield, Mo.

The Bloomington-based insurance giant will sponsor LPGA State Farm Classic through 2011 and will maintain the $1.7 million purse, tournament officials said Thursday.

EUROPEAN TOUR: In St. Andrews, Scotland, Thomas Bjorn shot 8-under-par 64 to take a two-stroke lead in the first round of the $5 million Dunhill Links championship.

Bjorn made six birdies and an eagle on the 7,160-yard Kingsbarns layout on the outskirts of St. Andrews. Gareth Maybin shot 66, also at Kingsbarns, to share second place with Ross McGowan.

Former Augusta State player Oliver Wilson opened with 69.

NATIONWIDE TOUR: In San Jacinto, Calif., scoring conditions were difficult in the Soboba Classic, where three players share the first-round lead.

Garrett Osborn, Craig Bowden and Michael Putnam lead at Country Club of Soboba Springs with 4-under-par 67s.