Simpson shoots 61 to charge ahead

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS: Webb Simpson shot a nine-under 61 for a one-stroke lead over Kim Meen-whee Kim after the first round of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.

Simpson posted his career-best score after shaking off a two-hour weather delay with six holes left in his round.

Meen-whee had back-to-back bogeys on the front nine on the Old White TPC, and then ran off five birdies over a seven-hole stretch. The South Korean had a career-high 10 birdies overall.

Teenager Joaquin Niemann of Chile was another stroke back at seven-under 63 and Kelly Kraft was at 64.

Phil Mickelson shot 66 in his first tournament since the US Open, when he intentionally violated golf rules by hitting a moving ball on the 13th green in the third round. He later apologised.

In Oneida: Defending champion Katherine Kirk shot a 10-under 62 to take the firstround lead at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Kirk wasted no time in picking up from where she left off last year.

Starting on the back nine, Kirk opened with three consecutive birdies and ended her day with a perfect wedge into the par-five ninth for a tap-in birdie on Thursday.

Kim Sei-young was a stroke behind at 63, and Brittany Marchand and Megan Khang were tied at 64. Emma Talley, who made nine birdies in a stretch of 10 holes, was one of seven players at seven-under. Ten more players shot 66.

Park Sung-hyun, who won her second career Major in a three-person playoff at last week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, started with a bogey and never got rolling with a two2-over 74.