Jones takes lead at Texas Open
Matt Jones eagled the par-5 14th hole and finished with a 6-under 66 to take a 1-stroke lead Thursday after the first round of the Texas Open.
Jones, the 30-year-old Australian who played at Arizona State, also had 4 birdies in a back-nine 30 on the Greg Norman-designed Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, the tournament's new site after 15 years at La Cantera. Jones hit a 3-wood approach from 276 yards to 8 feet on No. 14, and birdied three of the four par 3s.
"With these greens, if you miss a tee shot you're working hard to par or birdie," Jones said. "If you miss a second shot, it's tough out of the bunkers and runoffs they have on the greens. These par 3s aren't easy. To have 3 birdies on par-3s is quite good."
Paul Stankowski opened with a 67, and J.B. Holmes, Matt Weibring, Charley Hoffman and Steve Lowery had 68s. Ernie Els, a two-time winner this year, had a 72. He made a tap-in eagle on 14 after a 293-yard second shot. Zach Johnson, the two-time defending champion, made a 7 on the par-3 13th and ended up with an 8-over 80.
Bell Micro LPGA Classic: Azahara Munoz shot a 7-under 65 to take a 1-stroke lead over Katherine Hull and Jee Young Lee in the Bell Micro LPGA Classic at Mobile, Ala., the LPGA Tour's first event since Erica Blasberg was found dead.
Munoz, the former Spanish amateur star who won the 2008 NCAA individual title to lead Arizona State to the team championship, had a bogey-free round on The Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Magnolia Grove complex.
Blasberg died Sunday in suburban Las Vegas and her agent said she had been all set to attempt to qualify for the field at Magnolia Grove. Police have not said if they suspect foul play. The coroner said a ruling on a cause of death was pending blood and tissue tests that could take 4-6 weeks to complete. She was 25.
Cristie Kerr, Meena Lee, Janice Moodie and Hye Jung Choi shot 67s. Jiyai Shin, No. 1 in the world ranking following Lorena Ochoa's retirement two weeks ago after the Tres Marias Championship in Mexico, had a 70. Japanese star Ai Miyazato, the Tres Marias winner for her third victory in the first five events this season, also opened with a 70. Michelle Wie shot a 72.
Mallorca Open: South Africa's James Kingston shot a 5-under 65 to take a 2-stroke lead over Spain's Alvaro Velasco in the Mallorca Open at Son Servera, Spain. Kingston, a two-time winner on the PGA European Tour, had 6 birdies and a bogey at the Pula Golf Club course. Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen, France's Raphael Jacquelin, Ireland's Gary Murphy and Spain's Alejandro Canizares opened with 68s.