Randhawa rolls back years in Manila

MANILA — India’s Jyoti Randhawa rolled back the years with a blemish-free seven-under round of 65 to take the outright lead at the Manila Masters Golf Tournament Friday. The 2002 Asian Tour order of merit winner got off to a great start with three early birdies, breaking clear of four players who had a share of the first-round lead. “I put my head down and made three great swings, three great putts and played those three holes fabulously well. After that, I knew what I needed to do and just stuck to that game plan,” the 44-year-old said. Thai duo Sutijet Kooratanapisan and Tirawat Kaewsiribandit shared second place after matching rounds of six under on day two. Meanwhile, all eyes were on compatriot Sattaya Supupramai, who had seven straight birdies to match the course record of 63 and take an equal share of fifth place. He could done even better if it were not for bad weather late in his round at the Manila Southwoods golf and Country Club that he blamed for a bogey on the 17th. Ciganda, Smith share lead Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith birdied two of her last three holes to share the first-round lead of the LPGA’s Lorena Ochoa Invitational with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda on five-under par 67. Ciganda, who won her first LPGA title in South Korea last month, had three of her five birdies in the last six holes as she and Smith took a two-stroke lead over France’s Karine Icher, South Korea’s Chella Choi and Mexican amateur Maria Fassi. It was a further stroke back to American Michelle Wie, Colombian Mariajo Uribe and Australian Su Oh on two-under par 70. Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson, at seven in the world the highest ranked player in the field, battled to a 74 that included a double bogey at the par-four seventh to go with one bogey and one birdie. Defending champion Park In-bee is absent this week with a left thumb injury. Kirk shoots to lead Chris Kirk shot an 8-under 63 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. Kirk had four birdies on each nine in his bogey-free round on Mayakoba’s Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course. The former University of Georgia player has two top-10 finishes in three starts in the new PGA Tour season, opening with a tie for eighth at Silverado and tying for second in Mississippi. He tied for 61st last week in Las Vegas, closing with rounds of 75 and 74. NCAA champion Aaron Wise also was 65 along with Webb Simpson, Scott Piercy, Kevin Streelman and Nicholas Lindheim. Jim Furyk had a double bogey in a 74 in his first round of the season. Defending champion Graeme McDowell opened with a 75. Stenson boosts Dubai race Sweden’s Henrik Stenson bolstered his bid for a second Race to Dubai title on Thursday after finishing the opening round of the Nedbank golf Challenge one stroke behind the leading trio. The British Open champion made three straight birdies at 15, 16 and 17 on a tough day of scoring at the Gary Player Country Club to register a three-under round of 69. Stenson trails Chile’s Felipe Aguilar, South Korea’s Wang Jeung-hun and Englishman Ross Fisher at the top of the leaderboard in South Africa, but is set to gain considerable ground on Danny Willett in the Race to Dubai rankings.