Huston Leads Golf Opener

John Daly made a rocky return, bad memories resurfaced for Craig Stadler, and John Huston took the lead at 11 under par during a long day of golf at the Mercedes Championships.

Daly, playing for the first time since he was involved in a golf-course scuffle in August, went to 5 over par with a 75 and 74 as the golfers played 36 holes to make up for the postponed first round of the year’s first PGA tournament.

Stadler finished the combined first and second rounds at 8 under par, which included a two-shot penalty for being late for his tee time. The penalty gave him a 6 instead of a 4 on the first hole, and he had a 71 on the round before coming back to shoot a 65 in the afternoon, good for third place.

In 1987, a rules violation cost Stadler a disqualification in the PGA’s San Diego tournament.

Huston, meanwhile, held a two-shot lead over Lee Janzen, who shot a course record-tying 63 in the afternoon after having a 72 his first turn around the La Costa Resort course.