Leonard Shoots a 65 to Take Lead at Tucson

Justin Leonard, playing some of his best golf since he won the British Open last July, shot a seven-under-par 65 Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Tucson Chrysler Classic.

Tom Lehman and David Duval were a stroke back, with Jonathan Kaye, David Sutherland and Jay Delsing at 67.

Defending champion Jeff Sluman and Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner at Tucson, were eight shots back.

Leonard and Lehman, linked by having won their only major titles in Great Britain, also have poor 1998 starts in common.

Leonard is 70th on the money list after four tournaments, and Lehman is 73rd after three.

But their problems smoothed out at Tucson National, a 7,148-yard layout Leonard likes and Lehman had never played.

Leonard overcame two bogeys with nine birdie putts, none from more than 12 feet. Lehman had six birdies in a mistake-free round.

*

A huge break at the ninth hole gave Wendy Ward the momentum she needed to shoot a seven-under-par 65 for a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Hawaiian Ladies Open at Kapolei, Hawaii.

At the par 4, 333-yard ninth hole, Ward almost sent her drive into the water. Her next shot careened off a boulder but landed in the fairway, 45 yards from the cup.

She holed out from there, starting a run of five birdies on the return nine, including the last three holes, to move one stroke ahead of Dana Dormann and two ahead of Brandie Burton.

LPGA Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan, 1987 tournament winner Cindy Rarick, Laura Davies and Dale Eggeling, last week’s Los Angeles Championship winner, was in a group at four-under 68.