Golf: On course to end a 12-year gap

MILWAUKEE - Tommy Armour III moved into a one-shot lead at the Greater Milwaukee Open yesterday with an opening-round 63, eight under par.

Chasing the leader - whose last PGA Tour victory was 12 years ago - are Kenny Perry, Jeff Sluman, Bo Van Pelt and South African Deane Pappas who went round in seven-under.

Armour, grandson of golfing great Tommy Armour, started his round on the 10th hole. He made the turn at four under, then surged into the lead with an eagle and two birdies in the middle of his back nine.

Of the four New Zealanders in the field, Frank Nobilo made the best start with a two-under 69.

Phil Tataurangi and Grant Waite were one shot back, and Michael Long, finding his first year on the Tour very demanding, had a 72.

Armour's last win, his only victory on the Tour, was at the 1990 Phoenix Open.

If players avoided the thick rough, birdies were plentiful yesterday. Of the 156 players in the field, 103 broke par of 71.

"Once you start hitting it in the rough, you're playing defensive golf and when you're hitting it in the fairways you can play offensive golf," Armour said.

The tournament has one of the weaker fields of the year because many of the Tour's top players are skipping the event to prepare for next week's British Open at Muirfield.

Defending champion Shigeki Maruyama, of Japan, shot a six-under 65 and is tied for sixth with Steve Stricker, Kelly Gibson and Bryce Molder.

Maruyama birdied the 17th and 18th holes to move up the leaderboard.

* Justin Rose found impressive form with his putter to card a six-under 65 and take the first-round lead in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

The 21-year-old Englishman, who has won four titles this year, needed only 23 putts to finish a stroke clear of compatriot Miles Tunnicliff and Swede Fredrik Jacobson on a day of sunshine and showers.

A further shot back on 67 were double-major winner Sandy Lyle, English professionals John Bickerton and Warren Bennett, and Scottish amateur champion Barry Hume.

American Brad Faxon and world No 3 Ernie Els were among a group of nine on 68, and 1996 British Open champion Tom Lehman carded a 69.

Michael Campbell was the best placed of the New Zealand trio with a one-over 72.

Greg Turner was a shot back on 73, while Stephen Scahill had a poor day, recording a 78.

Defending champion Retief Goosen had a roller-coaster round on his way to a 72.

Six-times major winner Nick Faldo, playing his first event since last month's US Open, and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood slipped to disappointing 76s.

The event is the final European Tour stop before the British Open.

- AGENCIES