Partisan Crowd Pushes Gallagher Jr. Into Lead In World Series Of Golf

Jim Gallagher Jr., a golfer with Midwest roots, rewarded a cheering gallery Thursday with a 4-under-par 66 that gave him a one-stroke lead over Payne Stewart after one round of the World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio.

Gallagher, a two-time winner on tour this season, started his round birdie-eagle on the same Firestone Country Club South Course where he finished second in 1992 and ‘93.

“I’ve got 30 or 40 of those cousins and aunts and uncles out there hollering at me, too,” said Gallagher, who plays out of Indianapolis. “It’s always fun to play that way, in front of them. But the golf course just sets up pretty well for me.”

Stewart, playing five groups behind Gallagher in the 47-player, winners-only field, spaced four birdies and a bogey for his 67.

British Open champion John Daly, meanwhile, injured his right hand and wrist during an opening-round 78.

An emergency-room nurse at Akron General Medical Center in Akron, Ohio, said Daly was treated and released. She declined to say what time Daly came in or what the nature of his injury was.

The Akron Beacon Journal reported that Daly hurt his hand and wrist while chipping from behind a tree on the 418-yard, par-4 14th. He was able to par the hole.

Gusting winds blew over Beaconsfield Golf Club in Montreal and Patty Sheehan sailed right through them.

Sheehan had a 6-under-par 66 to take a five-stroke lead in the $1 million du Maurier Classic, the last of the four major events on the LPGA Tour.

Eight players were at 71 going into the second round of the 72-hole tournament on the 6,261-yard layout.

Tied were Amy Benz, Jane Geddes, Lori Tatum, Laurie Rinker-Graham, Jenny Lidback, Australians Jane Crafter and Mardi Lunn and Liselotte Neumann of Sweden.

Robin Walton of Clarkston is eight strokes back at 74 while Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, finished with a 75.

Defending champion Tiger Woods regained his putting stroke and tamed the winds at Newport Country Club to advance to the second round of the U.S. Amateur Championship in Newport, R.I.

Woods, who shot a 5-over-par 75 during stroke play at Newport the previous day, took the lead against Patrick Lee on the first hole and never looked back, winnning 3 and 2.

Also advancing to the second round was Trip Kuehne of McKinney, Texas, the runner-up to Woods last year.