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Golf briefs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 19, 2001

Daly surprises himself with 64 for share of lead

HONOLULU -- John Daly can't remember the last time he had a drink. He can't remember when his body felt this good. His face really went blank Thursday when asked the last time he shot 64.

"I'm a little shocked myself," Daly said after a controlled round of 6-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Brad Faxon and Larry Mize in the Sony Open.

Looking as fit as he has in years, and pounding it as hard as ever, Daly made seven birdies and only one mistake at windy Waialae Country Club for his lowest score in three years.

"My game feels good when I get on the course," Daly said. "I think all the hard work is starting to pay off."

Gary Nicklaus blocked out the bad memories of the ninth hole, where he had 12 in the final round last year. He was eight strokes better Thursday -- a birdie -- and had 66, putting him in a large group that included Tom Lehman, Carlos Franco and Jim Furyk, who won the Mercedes Championships Sunday in Maui.

Richie Coughlan of Ireland had a 65.

LPGA MEMORIAL OF NAPLES: South Korea's Mi Hyun Kim shot 8-under-par 64 for a one-stroke lead over Australia's Wendy Doolan in the opening round.

Kim, the 1999 LPGA Rookie of the Year, birdied eight of the first 12 holes. She switched putters this week after a poor performance Sunday in the final round of the season-opening LPGA Classic.

The players took advantage of receptive greens and calm conditions on the 6,328-yard layout at the Club at the Strand. A total of 103 of the 132 players shot par or better.

Doolan birdied five consecutive holes on the back nine, her first nine holes, then three straight on the front nine in tying her career low. She has 15 top-10 finishes in the past four years, but has never won on tour.

Michelle Estill had a hole-in-one on No. 17 to win a Subaru Forester S. It was her second career ace. She used a 5-iron from 171 yards, and finished with 72.

NEW ZEALAND OPEN: Australians Paul Sheehan and Scott Hend shot 5-under-par 65 to share the lead at Auckland. Dave Gossett, the 1999 U.S. Amateur champion who failed to earn a PGA Tour card despite shooting 59 in the qualifying tournament, topped a four-player group at 67.

ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP: Scotland's Dean Robertson shot a course-record 10-under 62 to take a three-stroke lead in the Johannesburg, South Africa, tournament. South Africa's David Frost set the Houghton Golf Club mark of 63 in 1997.

SENIOR TOUR: A week after the PGA Tour came ashore, the Senior PGA Tour officially says "aloha" to 2001 with the MasterCard Championship today through Sunday in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Last year, the season's anticipated stories were on the course, as crossover artists such as Tom Watson, Tom Kite and Lanny Wadkins joined for their first full tour of duty. This year, no such headliners are making the switch from the PGA Tour.

"We are coming off a great year in 2000," PGA commissioner Tim Finchem said. "The competitive level and competition quality has grown every single year since its inception."

In one of the more intriguing elements as the Senior PGA Tour embarks on its 22nd season, it ended an 18-year relationship with ESPN and signed a new contract with CNBC.

Often bumped and rarely featured on ESPN, the seniors will be the only game in town on CNBC, which has committed to televising 33 events compared with 24 on ESPN last year. CNBC reaches 72-million households with financial coverage and business news but never has been associated with golf broadcasting.

ESPN's average rating for the tour last year was 0.49, meaning only about one-half of 1 percent of the nation's homes watched, according to Nielsen Media Research. That was down from 0.58 in 1999 and significantly below the 1.4 rating of 1990, when the likes of Lee Trevino and Chi Chi Rodriguez were starring.

Finchem is hoping the affluent demographics of CNBC, more consistent programming and advantageous scheduling will boost the ratings. Purses already have been boosted; they will total a record $59-million in 2001. Friday rounds will be carried on PAX, a sister network.

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