Jacobsen strolls to lead

Peter Jacobsen wasn’t sure he could even walk the entire course at the U.S. Senior Open at St. Louis, much less contend for the lead.

But Jacobsen, still rehabbing from arthroscopic hip surgery, made four birdies during a six-hole stretch on the back nine Thursday and shot a 6-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead.

“I’m happy I played 18 holes, and the fact that I played great and scored well is a huge bonus,” Jacobsen said.

Craig Stadler had a bogey-free round and was second at 5 under. St. Louis area native Jay Haas birdied the final two holes to cap a 67.

Seven players shot 68s, including Gil Morgan, the leading money-winner on the Champions Tour. Tom Kite was among a group of 10 at 69. All told, 26 players were under par and another 13 were at even par.

Jacobsen, at 50 a Champions Tour rookie, had to withdraw from his past two events because of continuing pain from the hip surgery in April. Weeks on crutches caused his leg muscles to atrophy.

“Hitting the ball is no problem,” Jacobsen said. “Walking 18 holes is the difficult part for me.”

And it’s a long walk. Bellerive Country Club, at 7,117 yards, is the longest course in the 25-year history of the Senior Open. Still, scores were low in favorable conditions, with little or no breeze, overcast skies and unseasonably cool temperatures for late July in St. Louis. Twenty players were within four shots of the lead.

“The greens are so soft right now you can fly everything right at the hole,” Stadler said.

Jacobsen was 2 under before making birdies on Nos. 12, 13, 15 and 17. He hit 13 of 14 fairways, reached all but three greens in regulation, and did not three-putt all day.

Stadler, 51, a five-time winner on the Champions Tour and fourth on the money list this year, started on the back nine and birdied 13, 14, 17 and 18. He also made a birdie on the par-3 6th.

Hale Irwin shot an even-par 71 in his bid for his third Senior Open championship and second Champions Tour major of the year. He also won the Senior PGA.

Women’s British Open

Annika Sorenstam’s strong start at the Women’s British Open was not quite as good as Karen Stupples’ opening round. Stupples made seven birdies in a bogey-free, 7-under 65 at Sunningdale, England, putting her three shots ahead of defending champion Sorenstam.

Sorenstam was in a group of five players at 4 under. South Korea’s Jung Yeon Lee is alone in second place after a 67.

Stupples, an Englishwoman whose only LPGA Tour victory came at the season-opening event in Tucson, Ariz., held the lead midway through the Evian Masters last week before fading to a fourth-place finish.

PGA Buick Open

Vijay Singh shot a 9-under 63 to take the first-round lead at the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich., with Tiger Woods lurking four shots behind. Singh, one shot ahead of Olin Browne and two in front of Mike Grob, fell two strokes short of the tournament record.

Defending champion Jim Furyk shot a 66, and was tied for fourth with four others.

Woods got off to a slow start with only one birdie through eight holes before closing with four birdies in an eight-hole stretch. He had to scramble at times early, once crouching with a tree branch on his back just to save par, but his bogey-free day kept him near the leaders.