Golf In Brief: Norman, Women’s British Open, Woods

Golf: Greg Norman looked like his old self Thursday at the U.S. Senior Open in Carmel, Ind.

There were the trademark drives, the string of birdies and those customary big crowds following his every move. He even rekindled an image he’d rather forget: a last-hole struggle.

Norman birdied four straight holes on the front nine, but a bogey on the final hole left him in a four-way tie with Joey Sindelar, Dan Forsman and amateur Tim Jackson at 6-under-par 66 after the first round at Crooked Stick Golf Club. Andy Bean and Fulton Allem are both one shot back at 67.

Jackson broke the record for low score by an amateur at this tournament, and he did it in his Senior Tour debut.

The course’s head pro, Tony Pancake, said the 66s were a competitive course record.

The suddenly rejuvenated Tom Watson delivered on his promise of playing conservatively because of an illness that limited him to one practice round. Watson, who lost the British Open in a playoff two weeks ago, finished with a 1-under 71.

•Stanford shares lead at Women’s British Open: Angela Stanford birdied the last hole with a 30-foot putt for a 2-under 70 and shared the first-round lead with Song-Hee Kim in the Women’s British Open at Lytham St. Annes, England.

Kim, one of 29 Koreans playing in the championship, holed out from 20 feet for birdie at the last hole.

Stanford and Kim were a shot ahead of Yuko Mitsuka of Japan and Hee Young Park of South Korea on a day when stiff winds on the back nine made scoring difficult.

Michelle Wie coped well to shoot a 1-over 73. Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa shot a 75 and LPGA Tour money leader Cristie Kerr had a 76.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., opened with an 81.

•Woods struggles, Lowery sizzles: Tiger Woods played a lot like the guy who didn’t make the cut at the British Open.

Woods shot a 1-under 71 at the Buick Open in Grand Blanc Township, Mich., his first tournament since disappointing at Turnberry.

He finished the first round tied for 128th on putts inside 10 feet and eight shots back of leader Steve Lowery.

Two weeks ago in the British Open, Woods was 7 over during a six-hole stretch and ended up missing a cut for the first time in three years.

Lowery took advantage of perfect conditions in the morning by tying a course record with a 29 on the front nine and finishing 9-under 63.