Pavin breaks nine-hole mark

Corey Pavin broke the PGA Tour's nine-hole record with a front-nine 26 en route to a 9-under 61 and a three-stroke lead Thursday in the suspended first round of the rain-soaked U.S. Bank Championship.

Pavin, 46, birdied his first six holes and eight of the first nine in his bogey-free round on the Brown Deer Park Golf Course in Milwaukee.

Pavin broke the nine-hole mark of 27 set by Mike Souchak in the 1955 Texas Open and matched by Andy North (1975 B.C. Open), Billy Mayfair (2001 Buick Open) and Robert Gamez (2004 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic).

Arjun Atwal opened with a 64.

Evian Masters

Michelle Wie shot a 6-under 66 for a share of the second-round lead with Lorena Ochoa and Karrie Webb in the Evian Masters in France.

The 16-year-old Wie, playing in 94-degree heat two weeks after withdrawing from the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic because of heat exhaustion, matched Webb (68) and Ochoa (69) at 9-under 135.

Se Ri Pak (68) was a stroke back.

Senior British Open

Loren Roberts shot a 5-under 65 for a share of the first-round lead in the Senior British Open with Peter Jacobsen and Craig Stadler.

Roberts, who opened the Champions Tour season with three straight victories, had the only bogey-free round of the day at Turnberry in England.

Defending champion Tom Watson struggled in his return to Turnberry with a 73. Watson, the winner last year at Royal Aberdeen, won the 2003 tournament at Turnberry. He also won the 1977 British Open at Turnberry for the second of his five victories in the event.

European PGA

England's Lee Westwood shot a course-record 9-under 63 to take the first-round lead in the Deutsche Bank Players' Championship in Germany.

The two-time champion was a shot ahead of Retief Goosen and Robert Karlsson.

-- The Associated Press