KEY POINTS:
Australian Mathew Goggin showed flashes of brilliance in his charge to the first-round lead at the Memorial Tournament yesterday.
Goggin reeled off eight birdies in a stellar seven-under-par 65 at the tough Jack Nicklaus-designed Muirfield Village in Ohio, to head Americans Kenny Perry and Jerry Kelly by one stroke.
New Zealand left-hander Tim Wilkinson traded four birdies and four bogeys for an even-par 72 which left him in a share of 36th place.
Goggin, whose long game is second to none, displayed a short game to match, taking just 22 putts. "I've learned that it means absolutely nothing to have the first round lead," Goggin said. "It just gets you in a good position to be around when it really counts.
Perry compiled six successive birdies from the 11th hole to set the pace until Goggin went one shot better late in the day.
"You don't usually make six birdies in a row. That was probably a first for me," said Perry, 47, twice the winner of the Nicklaus-hosted event.
Perry, like Goggin, had a magnificent day on the greens, needing just 22 putts. "I'm not known for making a lot of putts. I just kept pouring them in from 20-feet."
New Zealander Lynn Brooky found herself in esteemed company after the first round of the German Open in Munich yesterday.
Brooky shot a four-under-par 68 to share seventh place with seven others in the Women's European Tour event.
One of them was American teen Michelle Wie, who had three birdies in her opening five holes. Wie has been affected by a wrist problem for more than a year.
Sweden's Nina Reis led after posting 64, two better than France's Jade Schaeffer and England's Lora Fairclough.
Elizabeth McKinnon, the second Kiwi in the field, was in a share of 64th after a 72.
- AAP, NZPA
