Taylor fires 66 for lead at St. Jude

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Vaughn Taylor needed only 24 putts Thursday for a 5-under 66 that gave him a one-stroke lead over defending champion David Toms and Paul Stankowski after the first round of the St. Jude Classic.

The former Nationwide Tour golfer grabbed the lead of a tournament that has none of the PGA Tour's top 10 money leaders with seven birdies and two bogeys. That put him in the lead after 18 holes for the first time in 14 PGA events.

The TPC at Southwind course was much tougher than usual with wind gusts up to 27 mph and dry fairways and greens. The last time 66 was the low score after the first round was in 1994.

Only eight golfers broke 70 with Stewart Cink, Zhang Lian-Wei and Hirofumi Miyase tied at 68.

Senior PGA ChampionshipLOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Tom Watson shot a 4-under 67 at Valhalla and was tied for the lead at the Senior PGA Championship with Hale Irwin, who birdied three of his last four holes.

The start of the tournament was delayed two hours after overnight rain drenched the course. Play was suspended because of lightning and 72 players were due back at 7:30 a.m. today to finish the first round.

Gil Morgan was 3 under through 15 holes. Jay Haas, making his first Champions Tour start, was 2 under with three holes to play. The nine-time PGA Tour winner turned 50 in December, but has remained on the PGA Tour.

LPGACORNING, N.Y. -- Annika Sorenstam returned from two weeks off to shoot a 7-under 65 and tie Liselotte Neumann for the first-round lead at the Corning Classic.

The two Swedes were one shot ahead of Natalie Gulbis, Lee Ann Walker-Cooper, Audra Burks and Nancy Harvey.

-- From wire reports