Cantlay shares lead, Woods 6 back at Riviera

L OS The guy who grew up 40 miles away, first played Riviera as a teenager and was out of golf with a bad back returned Thursday and shared the lead at the Genesis Open.

That would be Patrick Cantlay, not Tiger Woods.

And the biggest difference was that hardly anyone saw it.

Cantlay, the No. 1 amateur in the world when he was at UCLA, birdied all the par 5s and kept it smart the rest of the way around a firm Riviera course for a 5under-par 66 to share the lead with Tony Finau.

Woods, who grew up in Cypress and made his PGA Tour debut at Riviera when he was 16, played this event for the first time in 12 years. He lost a tee shot in a eucalyptus tree and made double bogey as part of a rugged start, and then settled in with a series of key putts for a 72.

Finau started with four birdies in five holes and finished with one last birdie for his 66.

Woods is playing Riviera for the ninth time as a pro, the most of any PGA Tour course without ever winning. His expectations are tempered returning from his fourth back surgery.

Ko takes first-round lead.

» Jin Young Ko left it late Thursday in her LPGA Tour debut to take a twostroke lead on a tight leaderboard in the opening round of the Women’s Australian Open.

Ko, playing in one of the final afternoon groups at Kooyanga, had only one par on her back nine — the 11th — but she had six birdies and two bogeys on her final nine for a 7-under 65 to move past second-place Jiyai Shin.

Asked about her goals for the week, Ko replied: “First one is make the cut, second one is enjoy. That’s it.”

Former world No.1ranked Lydia Ko was among a large group tied for third with 68s, two strokes behind.

Sullivan trails at Oman.

» Andy Sullivan showed signs of turning around his fortunes by producing a superb back nine to start the Oman Open with a 5-under 67.

He birdied six of his last 10 holes but still trailed English compatriots — cancer survivor Matthew Southgate and Paul Waring — by two shots on a day when the winds stayed away from the Greg Norman-designed Al Mouj Golf Club.