Levi Leads Hawaiian Open

Wayne Levi, who had to use his exemption based on career winnings to remain on the PGA Tour this year, shot a 5-under-par 67 for a one-stroke lead after one round of the Hawaiian Open at Honolulu.

Levi eagled the 551-yard 18th hole in a round in which he took advantage of the par-5s on the Waialae Country Club course.

The difficult conditions - a driving rain and 40 mph winds - were reflected in the scores, with only 23 of the 138 players breaking par and 17 finishing at par.

Heavy rains washed out the first day of the South African PGA Championship at Johannesburg, South Africa, and forecasters said wet weather could persist through next week.

NBC, the network that has already locked up TV rights to the Olympics through 2008 and part of baseball through 2000, announced it has the Ryder Cup and the PGA Seniors’ Championship through 2005.

NBC has televised the Ryder Cup since 1991 and already had the rights to the 1997 match between the United States and Europe at Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain. The contract extension gave NBC the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club near Boston as well as 2001 and 2005 in undetermined sites in Europe and 2003 somewhere in the United States.