Poulter leads, Tiger lurks at Bridgestone

AKRON, Ohio — Ian Poulter was annoyed upon realizing he never had finished better than 13th at Firestone, so he took a step toward doing something about it Thursday with an 8-under-par 62 and a one-shot lead in the Bridgestone Invitational.

Tiger Woods found himself fighting his swing. He shot 66.

Such was the difference of two players with vastly different memories on the stout South course at Firestone.

Woods is an eight-time winner, already a PGA Tour record for most victories on one course. Back at this World Golf Championship for the first time in four years, he made a 50-foot birdie putt and two other long putts to offset average iron play.

It was his best opening round of the year, and he needed it to keep pace with everyone else on a soft and vulnerable course that led to 45 players in the 71-man field breaking par.

At Reno, Ollie Schniederjans scored five points with a closing eagle to take a threepoint lead in the Barracuda Championship, the PGA Tour’s lone modified Stableford scoring event, at Montreux Golf and Country Club. Denny Mccarthy was tied for second with Aaron Baddeley.

At Lytham St. Annes, England, No. 8-ranked Australian Minjee Lee shot a 7-under 65, including a rightto-left putt for eagle from 25 feet on the par-5 15th hole, to lead by one stroke at the Women’s British Open. Mamiko Higa was one stroke back, and five others were two behind.

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