Associated Press
The golf roundup …
DUBLIN, Ohio ó Rory McIlroy only gets to play three regular PGA Tour events this year. He showed Thursday why the Memorial Tournament was one of them.
On a Muirfield Village course that already ranks among his favorites, the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland had a birdie putt on his last eight holes and converted half of them on his way to a 6-under 66 to join Chris Riley in the lead after the first round. McIlroy hit the ball so pure that he shot 32 on the front nine despite missing three birdie putts inside 8 feet.
Chris DiMarco and Josh Teater were at 67, followed by a large group at 68 that included Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Stewart Cink and Rickie Fowler, the runner-up at the Memorial last year.
Fifty-one players in the 120-man field broke par.
Luke Donald, in his debut as the No. 1 player in the world ranking, recovered from a slow start by making four straight birdies toward the end of his round for a 70. He played with Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and four-time major champion Phil Mickelson, who each had a 72.
WALES OPEN
NEWPORT, Wales ó South Africaís Keith Horne shot a 7-under 64 to take the first-round lead in the Wales Open. leaving defending champion Graeme McDowell three strokes back at Celtic Manor.
Swedenís Peter Hanson opened with a 65, and Englandís Paul Broadhurst and Steve Webster and Spainís Alvaro Velasco had 66s on The Twenty Ten Course, the site of the Ryder Cup last year.
PETERSON WINS NCAA TITLE
STILLWATER, Okla. ó LSU senior John Peterson won the individual title Thursday in the NCAA Golf Championships, and UCLA topped the eight qualifiers for the team match-play competition.
Peterson shot an even-par 72 ó playing the back nine in 4 under ó to finish at 5-under 211, a stroke ahead of UCLAís Patrick Cantlay at difficult Karsten Creek.