Saunders grabs the spotlight

This is the starring role Sam Saunders prefers.

Saunders, the grandson of Arnold Palmer who so famously kept his composure during a heartfelt eulogy of The King, rolled in birdie putts and kept a clean card at Riviera yesterday for a 7-under 64 and an early 2-shot lead in the Genesis Open in Los Angeles.

Saunders called it his best round on the PGA Tour, and it was merely a coincidence that it came on the 50-year anniversary of Palmer defending his title at the Los Angeles Open at Rancho Municipal.

Dustin Johnson, who has a chance to go to No. 1 with a win this week, was at 66 along with Daniel Summerhays, Cameron Percy, J.T. Poston and Brett Stegmaier. Phil Mickelson was among those at 67.

Many players were unable to finish because of a fog delay in the morning, and the bigger concern was a monster storm of rain and wind expected to arrive along the California coast.

The morning was perfect for scoring once the fog lifted, and Saunders rarely had a round with so little stress. He only came close to making bogey twice, saving par with an 8-foot putt on the par-3 fourth hole and a 6-foot putt on the par-3 14th.

Saunders, with only conditional status this year, is playing on the first of what figures to be several sponsor exemptions. He missed the cut this year in La Quinta and Pebble Beach.

Europe: Super 6 it

Brett Rumford and Mark Foster shot 6-under 66s to lead after the first round of the World Super 6 tournament in Perth, Australia, with 10 others a stroke off the lead of the European Tour event.

The tournament features three days of stroke play before switching to a match-play format in the final round when the top 24 golfers play a series of sixhole knockout duels.

LPGA: Aussie leads

Australian Katherine Kirk shot 8-under 65 to take a 2-stroke lead after the first round of the Women’s Australian Open in Adelaide.

Tied for second with 67s were Marissa Steen and Jane Park of the United States, South Korean Chella Choi and Min Lee of Taiwan.