Villegas shoots 64 to lead by 1 at Honda

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — With one great shot, Camilo Villegas turned a solid round into his lowest start in more than a year.

Villegas drilled a 3-wood into 8 feet on the par-5 18th hole and made the eagle putt for a 6-under 64.

That gave him a oneshot lead over Rickie Fowler, Branden Grace, Graham DeLaet and Robert Streb after the first round of the Honda Classic.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods each had a 70. Woods was thrilled it wasn’t worse. McIlroy was disappointed it wasn’t better.

Villegas lost his card last year and is playing on sponsor exemptions.

“This game is great when you’re playing good,” Villegas said. “When you’re out here missing cuts and missing cuts, I don’t care what people say. Yes, we’re blessed to have this job, but it’s not that much fun. ... The game was kicking my butt a little bit.”

Woods played in the cool, cloudy morning and was in danger of a big number late in his round when he decided to take off his socks and shoes, don rain pants and step into a creek to play a shot halfsubmerged in the water. Instead of taking a drop that could have led to a double bogey, he escaped with par and rallied for a 70

“I wasn’t trying to advance it very far, just make sure I got it back in the fairway and give myself some kind of wedge shot in there, which I did,” Woods said.

McIlroy was 1 under when his wedge from 105 yards sailed over the green, he chipped to just inside 8 feet and took bogey when he missed the putt. It came on the easiest hole at PGA National, which played about a halfshot below par.

“I only had 105 yards in for my third shot and ended up taking a 6,” McIlroy said. “Wasn’t the nicest way to finish. I saw enough pretty good golf out there to be positive going into the next few days.”

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

HSBC Women’s Champions at Singapore: Spain’s Azahara Munoz shot a 7-under 65 for a two-stroke lead after the first round of the event, which features 17 of the top 20 LPGA players

Munoz played in the day’s first group and finished with seven birdies. Five players at Sentosa Golf Club shared second at 67: Stacy Lewis, Karin Sjodin, Lizette Salas, Pornanong Phatlum and Sun Young Yoo.

Paula Creamer was in a four-way tie at 68.

Tshwane Open at Centurion, South Africa: Darren Fichardt of South Africa birdied the longest par-5 in European Tour history to lead the inaugural by one stroke after the first round.

Fichardt shot a 7-under-par 65 and was one of three players in the top 24 to need only four shots on the 685-yard fourth hole.

Bjorn Akesson of Sweden was at 66.

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