Golf Capsules: Kim sets course record at Congressional with 62

BETHESDA, Md. - Anthony Kim is regaining a lot of his strength and a little of his swagger. He can only hope his record start Thursday at the AT&T National will allow him to get rid of some frustration built up from a year of not winning.

Kim ran off eight birdies over his final 13 holes and set the course record at Congressional with an 8-under 62, giving him a two-shot lead over tournament host Tiger Woods and two others.

The 24-year-old Kim has not won since his victory in the AT&T National last year, slowed by an assortment of injuries that caused his game to slip just as he was being anointed the next great American player.

It was the best round of his PGA Tour career, although Kim walked off the par-5 ninth green slightly perturbed after narrowly missing a 10-foot birdie putt. Apparently, eight birdies wasn't enough.

"You don't have many opportunities to bust a 61," Kim said.

But it was enough to hold off Woods, who missed his tournament last year after having season-ending knee surgery. Woods played in the afternoon with deceptive wind swirling from trees lining the fairways. He missed only two fairways and three greens, and made enough putts for a 64, his lowest round since the 2007 Tour Championship.

"Today was nice to get back inside the ropes and get out there and try to catch AK," Woods said. "He lit it up this morning."

Bryce Molder, who can qualify for the British Open with a strong week at Congressional, hit a 3-wood to 4 feet on the par-3 second hole and escaped trouble a few times on the back nine to join a group at 64 that also included D.A. Points.

Former PGA champion Steve Elkington was another shot back on a day of exceptional scoring in relatively soft conditions from overnight rain in the Washington area.

"You can be so aggressive out there," Woods said. "You can fire at a lot of flags. The fairways got wide because it's not going to run out. If you get aggressive and get it going, you can post a number out there."

Three dozen players shots in the 60s, including Jim Furyk in the group at 66 and U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover at 69. Nearly half the 120-man field was at par or better.

As a tournament host, Woods took some solace that 3-under 67 was still good enough to be in the top 10. As a player, he saw Kim at 62 before he teed off and realized he had better stay as close as he could.

"This is the day to pull it off," he said, "because the greens are so soft."

Kim extended his bogey-free streak at Congressional to 40 holes, dating to the third round a year ago. He missed only one green, coming up just short on the 18th and chipping to about 3 feet. The longest par putt he faced all day was from 4 feet.

"Whenever you can make a bunch of birdies and not bogeys to follow it up, it's going to be a good day," Kim said. "And fortunately, I kept the ball in play for most of the day and finally got some putts to fall this year."

Even though it's the first week of July, it already feels like a long year to Kim.

He has not finished in the top 10 since his runner-up finish in the season-opening tournament at Kapalua, as he traveled the world while coping with injuries, the latest to his left thumb. He had to regrip the club on his backswing, making him tentative.

But as the strength returned, Kim has been able to set the club properly and swing more explosively through the ball.

As he worked his way along a rail to sign autographs, Fred Funk looked over at Kim and asked him what he shot. Without looking up, Kim casually told him he had a 62.

Sixty-what?" Funk said, not believing what he heard. "Where did you cut over?"

There were no shortcuts for Kim, and only limited theatrics. Only two of his birdie putts were tap-in range, as Kim played to spots on the green instead of getting locked in on the flag when it didn't make sense.

Not only is Kim feeling healthy, he is getting stronger. Over the last two months, he has been working intensively with Darby Rich, whom he met at Oklahoma and who recently worked with Blake Griffin as the Sooners' basketball trainer.

"He's really focused, almost obsessed," Rich said of Kim's recent devotion to fitness and diet. "The last couple of days, I feel like I've had to tell him to back off. He's really driven to get back to where he was."

NOTEBOOK: A new shot in Woods' repertoire

BETHESDA, Md. - Tiger Woods first tried the shot in competition during the third round at the Memorial, choking up on the grip of his driver about 2 inches, and he pulled it off to perfection.

He used it again on the eighth hole Thursday in the first round of the AT&T National.

It soon might become a regular part of his repertoire, much like the "stinger" he made popular with a 2-iron and later a 3-wood.

Woods said he began working on the shot a few months ago, and the idea is to give him a range that is a little less than a full driver, and a little more than a full 3-wood.

The eighth hole played 341 yards on Thursday, a slightly elevated green that makes it nearly impossible to drive, but Woods wanted to take the bunkers out of play.

"A full driver I felt would get me too far down there, and 3-wood couldn't take the bunkers out of play," he said. "So it's nice to have a little bit of a tweener. I drop down and hit just this little softy cut out there. It's a lot further than my 3-wood, but it's nowhere near a full driver, and I can keep that in play."

It worked to perfection, at least off the tee. Woods came up short with his wedge, however, and had to scramble for par from the front of the green.

On the par-5 fifth hole at Muirfield Village last month, he felt enough breeze in his face that he figured 3-wood wasn't enough to get beyond the tree-lined portion of the fairway, yet driver was too much because of a stream. He choked up on that driver, landed the ball in an ideal spot and made an easy birdie.

BRITISH OPEN RACE

U.S. Open runner-up Ricky Barnes took a step toward making it to the British Open, as did Bryce Molder.

There are two ways for PGA Tour players to qualify for the British Open at the AT&T National - as the top two players from a special money list that ends this week, or as the leading player from among the top five. In both cases, it's only for those not already eligible.

Barnes is second on the special money list of six tournaments - The Players Championship, Memorial, St. Jude Classic, U.S. Open, Travelers Championship and AT&T National. He opened with a 70.

Paul Goydos, the leader of that money list, opened with a 73 and was in danger of missing the cut. Also in the chase are John Mallinger (70), Matt Bettencourt (70) and Kevin Na (71).

Molder is $20,000 behind Barnes, and it helped that he opened with a 64.

The tour had the standings posted in the locker room at Congressional, although Molder didn't need to see it.

"I did check late Sunday afternoon," he said with a smile. "That would be a tremendous honor to play in the Open Championship, which I never have. I love the golf over there. It would be a great challenge and a great honor to play."

Molder played on the Walker Cup team that competed in Nairn in Scotland, and on a Palmer Cup team at St. Andrews. Despite being in a tie for second, he realized there was a long way to go until Sunday.

"I'm going to try to ignore that as much as I can and just play golf," he said. "It's hard to."

SPECIAL VISIT

Jim Furyk found perspective Wednesday night going to a barbecue at the Walter Reed Hospital to visit wounded soldiers, some of whom have lost limbs.

Just like last year, he thought he could help cheer them up. And just like last year, Furyk came away inspired.

"It was just good to meet a lot of wonderful people that have gone and risked their lives for our country," he said. "Some of them have gone through some very tough experiences, and the hospital is all about getting them back on track. It's amazing, their outlooks and their positive attitudes.

"It's an odd scenario where you think want to go there and try to cheer some people up, and you leave there in awe of their attitude and how tough they are. They end up inspiring you."

ON A ROLL

Bryce Molder, a four-time All-American at Georgia Tech, has been trying to find his way to the PGA Tour most of the decade. He finished 185th on the money list as a rookie in 2007, and after earning back his card, was headed in the same direction.

It started to turn around, however, at the Byron Nelson Championship, and it continued Thursday with a 64, his ninth consecutive round at par or better.

A key moment was being paired in Memphis with Brian Gay, who finished five shots ahead of Molder.

"His golf game is not the same as a lot of guys out here," he said. "There's so many guys that bomb it and everything, but he putts so well and he keeps the ball in play. And I think the biggest part of playing with him, what meant so much, was just seeing that he's extremely comfortable with who he is as a player, as a person out there.

"I think it's more important how you see yourself than what type of player you really are," Molder said. "And I think that's a big part of it is I've been able to take whatever shots I can play with at that time, take it to the golf course and try to score. When I've played my best golf, that's what I've done."

-- Doug Ferguson

3 share Farr lead after first round

SYLVANIA, Ohio - Morgan Pressel was paired with the world's top two players in the opening round of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.

Then she outplayed them both.

Pressel, Song-Hee Kim and Laura Diaz each shot a 7-under 64 to share the lead, one shot ahead of Michelle Wie and Suzann Pettersen on Thursday at Highland Meadows.

"It was a great pairing," Pressel said, after playing with top-ranked Lorena Ochoa and No. 2 Yani Tseng. "They're both good friends and they have a lot of fun. They're great to play with."

Then Pressel, ranked No. 37, laughed and added, "Even though I hit first all day."

Defending champion Paula Creamer, who shot a personal-best and course-record 60 in last year's first round, withdrew because of a thumb injury moments before her morning tee time.

She said in a statement that she hopes to play in next week's U.S. Women's Open at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa.

"This is an event I feel a very special bond with and it's disappointing not to be able to defend my title," Creamer said.

Pressel was second at the Farr two years ago to five-time winner Se Ri Pak. She didn't have a bogey and birdied four holes in a row late in her round.

Her 64 matched her best round since joining the tour in 2006. After bursting on the scene with a runner-up finish at the 2005 U.S. Women's Open, Pressel was considered a budding LPGA star, and became the youngest player to win a major at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

She's won only once since, and is trying to end a victory drought just like her co-leaders.

"This is the best golf I've played in a while," she said.

Kim, who is winless in 56 career LPGA Tour events, twice birdied three consecutive holes during her round. Diaz hasn't won in seven years, but holed a wedge shot for eagle at the par-4 17th hole to move to the top of the leaderboard.

"I've been trying to get my swing going good again," Diaz said. "I just really have spent a lot of time on those things. My putter happily surprised me today and led that ball right into the hole."

Wie also could use a victory. Despite being in the LPGA spotlight since she was 12, and winning the Women's Amateur Publinx a year later, she is winless since earning her tour card last year. She has three top-10 finishes in her seven starts this season.

She used her length off the tee to shoot her lowest competitive round since turning pro, and rebounded from her only bogey to birdie two of her last three holes. Five of Wie's seven birdies came on putts of 10 feet or less.

"The best part of today was just the rhythm and the tempo," said Wie, who won't turn 20 until October. "I was just going along, hitting fairways and greens and making putts. The mental part was the best part. I felt really good out there, and really confident."

Pettersen aced the 154-yard third hole with a 7 iron, the highlight of her round, as 86 players broke par in perfect scoring conditions.

Another shot back of Wie and Pettersen after rounds of 66 were Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park, Jiyai Shin, Lindsey Wright and Jee Young Lee.

The large group at 67 was led by Ochoa, making her first appearance at the Farr since 2004. She offset a double-bogey with birdies on her final two holes.

"I know what I need to do and hopefully tomorrow everything goes well and I can shoot a little bit lower," she said.

-- Rusty Miller

Hawaii without LPGA Tour events in 2010

HONOLULU - Michelle Wie's home state, which promotes itself as a golfer's paradise with year-round sunny weather, has bid aloha to the LPGA Tour - for now.

The number of LPGA Tour events have dwindled from a record three in 2008 to one this season and none scheduled for next year as corporate sponsors and golf courses try to cut marketing costs amid global economic declines. The tour is hoping a new sponsor will step up soon so Hawaii won't be left off the 2010 schedule.

"Every sport, every corporation, every family is feeling the recession, so it's not easy," LPGA Tour spokesman David Higdon said. "But we're going to work hard and we know we have a great sport, a great circuit and a great history in Hawaii."

The Kapalua LPGA Classic said this week that it has pulled out of its contract to host the event with four years remaining on its five-year contract. LPGA Tour deputy commissioner Libba Galloway said the tour is "extremely disappointed" and plans to "vigorously enforce all our legal rights under the contract."

Kapalua, owned by Maui Land & Pineapple Co., sponsored the event's inaugural event last year, which was won by its touring pro, Morgan Pressel. Kapalua said is unable to present the tournament in October without a title sponsor.

"It's disappointing but a reality in today's current economic climate that title sponsorships are difficult to secure," said Gary Planos, Kapalua Land Co. senior vice president.

Kapalua is the third event erased from this season's LPGA Tour calendar. The Ginn Open in Florida is dead and the Bell Micro LPGA Classic in Alabama was moved to next spring. The Corning Classic in Corning, N.Y., lost its sponsor for next year and the fates of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Ohio and the Michelob Ultra Open in Virginia also are uncertain.

Higdon said he's not worried about others following Kapalua's lead because of contractual obligations.

Also gone from the islands are the SBS Open and the Fields Open, which used to open the LPGA Tour season. Fields Corp., a Japanese gaming machine developer, didn't renew sponsorship after last year's event.

The SBS and the LPGA Tour ended a long relationship in a bitter breakup to start the season.

The Korean media giant felt disrespected when the tour agreed to a lucrative, long-term deal with SBS's much-smaller competitor, J Golf, for an exclusive TV deal in the golf-crazed Asian nation.

"They have moved Tiffany's from 57th Street in Manhattan to Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn," SBS president Sang Chun told Golf World in February.

SBS, one of South Korea's four major networks, in turn agreed to a 10-year deal with the PGA Tour to sponsor its season opener in Kapalua, which had been previously sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. SBS also extended its exclusive agreement to show PGA Tour events in South Korea.

The LPGA Tour says it was actively seeking to secure a new title sponsor to replace SBS and hopeful that Hawaii wouldn't be left off the schedule next year for the first time since 2004.

Michael Story, sports manager for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said the state realizes the importance of pro golf as a marketing tool. The state usually contributes $50,000 to each LPGA Tour event held in the islands.

"It's what we would consider part of our competitive set, when we talk about what Hawaii has to offer as a destination," he said.

However, Story said he realizes there's just not as much money to go around to host tournaments.

"I think there's a lot of business reevaluating what they direct their money to, and that's not something we can control," he said.

Besides the balmy winter weather and its proximity to Asia, one key reason why the LPGA Tour wants to be back in Hawaii so badly is the "Wie factor."

"Why do we have three tournaments in Mexico? Players drive our business," said Higdon, referring to the draw of top-ranked Lorena Ochoa. "If Michelle Wie took off, the business model will probably change a little bit more and we'll be fielding more calls and options."

Wie has played well in Hawaii, drawing huge galleries ever since she qualified for an LPGA Tour event on the Big Island at age 12 and two years later shooting a 68 in the PGA Tour's Sony Open to miss the cut by a stroke.

She opened her rookie campaign in February by finishing second at Turtle Bay, where she tied for second in 2005 as a 15-year-old amateur.

Higdon said the SBS in February was a huge success for the LPGA Tour, which experienced the second-highest traffic on its Web site for a non-major event. It was topped only by the 2006 Evian Ladies Masters, where Wie finished tied for second.

"You look at how amazing Tiger Woods has been and what a draw he is. Of our players, Michelle Wie has that quality," Higdon said. "So we hope that she can develop because she already has that strong following. If she turns into a great player, it will be amazing for the sport ... and those are the kinds of things that will play in Hawaii's favor down the road."

-- Jaymes Song

Kaymer leads after first round of French Open

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France - Martin Kaymer tied a course record with a 9-under 62 on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the French Open.

Kaymer overcame a painful blister and a bogey on his first hole with eight birdies and an eagle on No. 3 to tie the record set by Eduardo Romero of Argentina in 2005 on the 7,300-yard Golf National course.

"My putting was pretty good today," said the 24-year-old German, who started at No. 10. "That kept my score low."

The 2007 European Tour Rookie of the Year had cut a hole in his right shoe on Wednesday to relieve pressure on the blister and play in the Pro-Am.

"I had a big blister yesterday," he said. "Today, it's still hurting a little bit but I was surviving."

Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, Rafa Echenique of Argentina, Scott Strange of Australia, Peter Hanson of Sweden and John Bickerton of England all shot 65s.

"It was nice to have a good day out there for a change," said Bickerton, the 2006 French Open champion. "The fairways are tight here, but if you do get the ball in the right places then you can get the ball close to the hole and the greens are quite receptive."

England's Paul Waring had a share of second place until he dropped a shot on the 17th and finished with a 66. Countryman Nick Dougherty, who won the BMW International Open on Sunday, also had a 66 after a birdie on his final hole.

"It's lovely to kick off again with another good round on the back of winning a golf tournament. It's not always easy to do," Dougherty said. "My short game was super. I've become a lot more consistent around the green."

Kaymer collected two titles and three runner-up finishes in 2008, but has been struggling lately, missing the cut in his last two starts. That poor run of form changed with four birdies on his first nine holes, another at No. 1 and then the eagle on No. 3. He finished with birdies on Nos. 7-9.

Ian Poulter of England (72) and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland (72) were among the players who didn't find the course so accommodating.

"It's not great for this week's tournament because I am 10 shots behind, but I was encouraged by the way I played," Harrington said. "The putting green is very slow and I am struggling a bit with the pace of the greens."

Masters winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina had a 75, while European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie stayed in the running with a 69.

Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain had a 67 for a share of ninth place with 10 other players including fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, the defending champion.

Jimenez received a silver ice bucket after his final hole to celebrate his 500th appearance on the European Tour.

"Golf is my life and has given me everything," the 45-year-old Jimenez said. "To play 500 tournaments is a great achievement and makes me proud."

-- Trung Latieule