Levi Leads Colonial
Wayne Levi, whose golf game has nosedived the past five years, mastered devilish winds to shoot a 4-under-par 66 for a share of the first-round lead at the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.
Jeff Gallagher, brother of PGA Tour regular Jim Gallagher, and Omar Uresti, a former University of Texas golfer named after actor Omar Sharif, were also at 66.
Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett shot 68.
Previous Colonial champions Nick Price, Corey Pavin, Fuzzy Zoeller and Tom Purtzer were at 69, while defending champion Tom Lehman was in a pack of two dozen golfers at 70.
Former British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia eagled the first hole and birdied the last, but shot a 78 - thanks to a 10 at the par-4 17th. He found bunkers and drainage ditches and missed three tap-in putts.
Ian Baker-Finch, the 1989 Colonial king, hacked out a 41 on the front side and called it quits on the back.
In Thame, England, Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain overcame gusting winds and a winter-like day with a 4-under 68 for the first-round lead in the $1 million Benson and Hedges International.
Bernhard Langer was among several one stroke back, competing in what was the best field on the European PGA Tour this season. All 12 of the continent’s winning 1995 Ryder Cup team are playing.
Nick Faldo, playing in Britain for the first time since winning the Masters last month, had a hole-in-one on the 171-yard 13th with a low-flying 7-iron. He shot 70.
Faldo’s ace was the seventh of his career and his first with a 7-iron. The other six were with 6-irons.