O'Hair first round leader at Byron Nelson, as Mickelson struggles

Local favorite Sean O’Hair is the first round leader of the PGA Tour’s 2007 EDS Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Tex.. The native of Lubbock fired a 5-under-par 65 at the Cottonwood Valley course to take a one stroke lead over Anders Hansen and Brett Wetterich, the defending champion. Phil Mickelson, who entered the championship despite missing its preceding pro am, got off to a hot start, with four birdies. But his putter let him down on the home stretch. Mickelson bogeyed three of the last four holes to finish at 1-under…

Over on the LPGA Tour, Stacy Prammanasudh posted a first round 67 to go 6-under-par and lead the 2007 Corona Morelia Championship in Mexico. Prammanasudh has had a solid season so far, with four top-10 finishes in six starts, and one title. One off the pace in the tournament is, among others, defending champion Lorena Ochoa, whose first round 68 included two eagles on the front nine…

The European PGA Tour is in Spain for the 2007 Open de Espana, and Grégory Bourdy is the first round leader. Bourdy posted a 67 amid tough playing conditions to end the day at 5-under, one stroke ahead of American Notah Begay III, who shot a first round 68. The nearest Spaniard in contention is Luis Claverie, who is also at 4-under. A Spaniard has not won the event in five years…

WorldGolf’com’s Brandon Tucker writes about the demise of the Byron Nelson Championship, where eight of the world’s top 10 golfers aren’t competing. Tucker says their absence is understandable and not, as some golf writers have said, a slap in the face to the late Byron Nelson.