Off the wire

GOLF Meadow leads Classic

Stephanie Meadow had five straight birdies on the front nine and shot an 8-under 63 in hot and humid conditions Thursday to take the firstround lead in the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Classic. Seeking her first tour victory, the 27-year-old former University of Alabama player from Northern Ireland began the birdie run on the par-5 second and capped it on the par-5 sixth in mid90-degree heat at Old American Golf Club. Meadow also birdied the par5 13th, the par-4 15th and par-3 16th in the bogey-free afternoon round. Dori Carter and Amy Olson were tied for second at 65. Carter birdied the first four holes on the back nine, then rebounded from a double bogey on the 15th with birdies on 16h and the par-4 17th late in the afternoon. The 32-year-old former University of Mississippi player also is winless on the tour. Olson had seven birdies and a bogey in the morning session. She’s also winless on the tour. Cheyenne Knight, Ruixin Liu and Moriya Jutanugarn shot 66. Inbee Park, the 2013 and 2015 winner at Las Colinas Country Club, was another stroke back with U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee, Brittany Altomare, Jaye Marie Green, Katherine Perry, Kristen Gillman and Gaby Lopez. Park overcame two early bogeys.

Johannessen leads Open

Kristian Krogh Johannessen of Norway shot a career-best 8-under 63 to match the course record and take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Spanish Open on Thursday. Johannessen birdied four of his last six holes at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid for the lowest opening round in the event’s history. The only bogey for the Norwegian came on the par-4 16th hole, right after he made an eagle on the par-4 15th. Adri Arnaus of Spain was in second place after a 65 that included five birdies and an eagle. Defending champion Joh Rahm was three shots back after a 66, in a tie for third place with five other players -- including fellow Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello. Sergio Garcia was six shots off the lead. Garcia had three birdies and a bogey in his round that left him tied for 30th. Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale, an avid golfer, was among those in the crowd. Two days earlier, it was Garcia who was at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium watching Bale play in Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League.