John Deere blades bear down on Wie again

Michelle Wie is heading the wrong way in her bid to make history. Again.

Trying for a fifth time to become the first woman since 1945 to make a cut in a PGA Tour event, the 16-year-old instead found trouble virtually everywhere she turned Thursday in the first round of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. In the sand. In the water. In the weeds. And in the woods -- several times.

With a 6-over 77, Wie was 13 strokes off the lead and appears headed for another early trip home. The low 70 and ties will make the cut after the second round Friday and 70 players were at 2 under or better, with three still on the course when play was suspended because of darkness. Wie was tied for 149th in the 153-player field, with only Bob May and Mike Springer behind her.

J.P. Hayes, John Senden, Daniel Chopra and local favorite Zach Johnson were tied for the lead at 7-under 64. Joe Ogilvie and Kris Cox were one stroke back at 65. Six players, including one of Wie's playing partners, Daisuke Maruyama, were at 66.

Jeff Gove, the third player in Wie's group, was at 3-over 74. Defending champion Sean O'Hair was five shots off the lead after a 69.

LPGA Tour

Liselotte Neumann, surrounded by groups that included Hall of Famers and fan favorites Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez, shot a 6-under 65 to take the first-round lead in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.

Sung Ah Yim, Reilley Rankin and Michelle Estill opened with 66s and 18 players were within three shots of the lead, including four-time tournament winner Se Ri Pak (68). Pak is trying to match Mickey Wright's tour record of five victories in one event.

Neumann, the 40-year-old Swede who won the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles in 2004, birdied three of four holes after making the turn and finished with a birdie.

Sorenstam, making her first appearance at the Farr since 2001, was four shots behind the leader after a 69. Lopez, playing in an LPGA Tour event for the first time in more than a year, finished with an 81.

Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis shot 67s.

Champions Tour

Fuzzy Zoeller birdied the final two holes for a 7-under 65 and a share of the first-round lead with Ron Streck in the Senior Players Championship in Dearborn, Mich.

Jim Thorpe, Bruce Lietzke and Scott Simpson shot 67s, leaving them two strokes back in the third of five majors -- and the second of three straight -- on the Champions Tour.

Allen Doyle, coming off his second consecutive U.S. Senior Open title, was in a group of six at 68 that included Jay Haas and Tom Kite. Tom Watson and Fred Funk were another stroke back, and defending champion Peter Jacobsen shot a 70.

Zoeller had only one bogey and eight birdies, a round strong enough to catch Streck, who surged to the top of the leaderboard with five straight birdies from Nos. 13 to 17.

European PGA Tour

British Masters champion Johan Edfors and Scotland's David Drysdale shot 6-under 65 to share the first-round lead in the Barclays Scottish Open in Luss, Scotland.

Darren Clarke and Miles Tunnicliff opened with 66s. Ernie Els and Retief Goosen had 70s, Sergio Garcia shot a 71 and Colin Montgomerie had a 72. Former Masters champion Fred Couples withdrew before play began because of a back problem.

-- The Associated Press