Tringale, Duke lead PGA

Both bidding for 1st title; Watson well back after post-masters hiatus.

Cameron Tringale and Ken Duke topped the Zurich Classic leaderboard at 7-under 65 on Thursday, leaving defending champion Bubba Watson six strokes back at TPC Louisiana in his first tournament since winning the Masters.

Tringale, a former Georgia Tech player, birdied the final four holes and finished the round with eight birdies and a bogey. Duke had seven birdies in a bogey-free round. Both players are winless on the PGA Tour.

Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, Daniel Chopra and Chris Stroud were a stroke back at 66. Ben Curtis, the Texas Open winner Sunday in San Antonio, was another shot behind along with John Rollins and Jason Dufner.

Webb Simpson, a playoff loser last year in the event, had a 68.

Watson, a former Georgia Bulldog, had four birdies and three bogeys in his 71.

Admitting to fatigue, Watson, playing the back nine first, was 2 over through the first seven holes. He birdied the par-5 18th and followed with three more birdies and a bogey on the front nine.

Second-ranked Luke Donald opened with a 73.

Tringale, coming off eighthplace finishes in the Houston Open and Texas Open, made the turn at 2 under and had a 5-under 31 on the back nine, highlighted by a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th and a 20-footer on the difficult par3 17th.

Duke, attempting to make the most of his opportunity after a two-year exile on the Nationwide Tour, made three consecutive birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 3 under and birdied the par-5 11th and par-4 12th to get it to 5 under. He added birdies on the par-4 16th and par-5 18th.

Chopra, a two-time tour winner who has failed to make a cut this season, put himself in position to regain full-time status. He had failed to shoot in the 60s this year. PGA: Zurich Classic Ken Duke Cameron Tringale Daniel Chopra Steve Stricker Ernie Els Chris Stroud LPGA: Mobile Bay Jennifer Rosales Katie Futcher Lindsey Wright Caroline Hedwall Nationwide: S. Georgia Classic Robert Streb 66 -6 Brian Stuard 67 -5 Luke List 67 -5 Sihwan Kim 67 -5

More scores, C9

Jennifer Rosales birdied five of the first seven holes on the back nine and finished with a 5-under 67 in the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic for a share of the first-round lead with Katie Futcher, Lindsey Wright and Caroline Hedwall.

Rosales, the Filipino player who won the last of her two LPGA Tour titles in 2005, had a birdie and a bogey on the front nine before making her backnine move. Futcher had the lead at 6 under after 17 holes, but dropped into a tie with a bogey on the par-4 ninth. Wright and Hedwall had bogeyfree rounds.

Kraft Nabisco winner Sun Young Yoo was a stroke back along with Stacy Lewis, Morgan Pressel, Mariajo Uribe, Sydnee Michaels, Cindy Lacrosse, Haeji Kang and Mi Jung Hur.

France’s Victor Dubuisson shot a 4-under 68 in cold and windy conditions to take a twoshot lead after the first round of the Ballantine’s Championship in Seoul, South Korea.

Having a sophomore infield and a freshman catcher who bats cleanup is not an ideal mix for a region championship team, but Milton (20-4) has turned a youth movement into its third consecutive first-place finish in Region 6-AAAAA.

The sophomores on the infield include third baseman Dalon Farkas, shortstop Dylan Cease, second baseman Ryan Gridley and first baseman Jack Thompson. Sophomores also occupy two spots in the outfield. Dalton Ewing is in center, and Alex Schnell starts in right or left and also pitches.

The freshman catcher is Lucas Herbert, who is hitting .380. Herbert also handles Milton’s chief asset — pitching.

Jason Richman (5-1, 2.11) has signed with Georgia Southern. Graham Officer (2-1, 4.00) has signed with Jacksonville State.

Centennial forfeited four recent victories because of a violation of the GHSA’S participation rules, meaning the Knights, who had been tied for second place behind Milton in Region 6-AAAAA, won’t make the state playoffs.

GHSA rules allow players to play in varsity and sub-varsity games, but the total games played may not exceed 26. Some of Centennial’s players played in more.

Coach Jake Hill took responsibility Monday in a letter to parents. “The players, and you as parents, have done everything I have asked of you, and I let all of you down,” Hill wrote. “I am devastated and am having a tough time dealing with this, as the players will also.”

GERALD HERBERT / ASSOCIATED PRESS In his first tournament since winning the Masters, Bubba Watson only managed a 71, his four birdies offset by three bogeys. He is defending last year’s Zurich Classic title.