Luke Donald shot a 64 yesterday to take the first round lead at the Honda Classic. His bogey-free round at PGA National puts him ahead of Brian Davis by one stroke. Donald won the Honda Classic two years ago at nearby Mirasol … Lorena Ochoa has started her 2008 LPGA Tour strongly. She shot a 6-under-par 66 yesterday to take the lead at the HSBC Women’s Championship … “It was one of those days that I was getting the ball and making good contact especially, had a lot of birdie chances,” Ochoa told the media. “It was a great start.” Meanwhile, Shamim Khan ...

So far so good for Lorena Ochoa. The top-ranked LPGA golfer kicked off her 2008 season with six birdies at the inaugural $2 million HSBC Women’s Champions tournament in Singapore on Thursday. Ochoa shot six birdies and took a one-stroke lead. Ochoa had no bogeys to finish with a 66 at the event at Tanah Merah Country Club. American Paula Creamer and Japan’s Ai Miyazato shared second, one stroke behind Ochoa. Former No. 1 Annika Sorenstam had three birdies and two bogeys to finish with a 71 and in a share of 19th place. In Gurgaon, India, a former caddie had pros screaming, ...

Greg Norman is letting bygones be bygones with the PGA Tour, agreeing this week to be captain of the International team at the Presidents Cup. Norman joins Fred Couples as the first captains who have competed in the matches. Norman has butted heads with PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem for more than a decade over the World Golf Championships. He’s also challenged the tour over its finances. The Presidents Cup will be held in October 2009 at Harding Park in San Francisco. “I think what’s happened in the past is in the past,” Norman said. “If you sit on a board of any ...

Phil Mickelson is out of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship after losing to Stuart Appleby of Australia yesterday. Appleby carded nine birdies to defeat Mickelson 2 and 1, preventing a much wished for final showdown between Mickelson and Tiger Woods … Meanwhile, Michelle Wie shot an opening-round 3-under-par 69 yesterday to go five shots off the lead at the LPGA Tour’s Fields Open. Jeong Jang is ahead of the field after an 8-under 64 … Commenting on her play, Wie told reporters: “You know, I don’t really feel like I have to prove myself to anyone. I just was really proud of ...

Tiger Woods made a late comeback in the first match of the Accenture Match Play Championship yesterday to defeat J.B. Holmes. Woods carded three straight birdies and an eagle on the 17th to pull ahead by a stroke with one hole left to play. Holmes missed his birdie putt on 18 to tie, giving Woods the victory … “I just kept saying I could win in regulation,” Woods told the media. “That’s what I’ve always done, even if I’m 2-down with three to go or 3-down with five to go or whatever it may be.” Michelle Wie said Tuesday before the LPGA ...

Phil Mickelson shot a final round 1-under-par 70 yesterday to win the Northern Trust Open. The two-shot win over Jeff Quinney earned Mickelson the 33rd victory of his career. Mickelson first played at Riviera when he was 17, as an amateur … “The fact I haven’t won this and it has taken me so long to win makes it that much more special,” Mickelson told the media. Annika Sorenstam earned her first LPGA Tour title since 2006 at the SBS Open this weekend. She closed with a 3-under 69 Sunday for her 70th career LPGA Tour victory … “It’s great to win tournaments, ...

K.J. Choi shot a 6-under-par 65 yesterday to take the first round lead at the Northern Trust Open. Choi, who’s one shot ahead of Kevin Na, is looking to become the first multiple winner of the 2008 PGA Tour season … Meanwhile, Kelli Kuehne is ahead at the SBS Open after shooting a 5-under 67 Thursday at the opening event of the 2008 LPGA Tour season. Annika Sorenstam carded a 70 … “I thought I played pretty well,” Sorenstam said. “It’s not easy to come out after two months. I’m taking a lot of positive out of today.” Ernie Els has decided to ...

As long as no one else withdraws from the event, Tiger Woods will play American Anthony Kim in the first round of next week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson, Ariz. The top 64 players in the world qualify for the competition, but Ernie Els and Brett Wetterich have already withdrawn … A romantic golf trip might be just the ticket this Valentine’s Day, Chris Baldwin writes at TravelGolf.com.

Steve Lowery won his first PGA Tour event in more than seven years Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The 47 year old defeated Vijay Singh on the first playoff hole to become the oldest golfer to win the event. Lowery closed with a 4-under-par 68 … Shivshankar Chowrasia, a former caddie, carded a final round 5-under 67 yesterday to win the Indian Masters by two strokes. He defeated Damien McGrane of Ireland … “It is the biggest win of my life,” the 29-year-old Chowrasia told the media. At GolfCalifornia.com, Chris Baldwin writes about the Island Hotel in Newport Beach.

Kent Jones leads the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after having shot a 6-under-par 66 yesterday on arguably America’s most famous golf course. Phil Mickelson finished with a 71, and Greg Norman, playing in his first PGA Tour event in more than a year, shot a 76 … Meanwhile, Jyoti Randhawa shot a 7-under 65 Thursday to go ahead of the field at the Indian Masters by two strokes. Ernie Els struggled, finishing with a 75 … Osprey Point is a friendly, manageable golf course on Kiawah Island, Brandon Tucker writes at GolfCarolina.com.

Tiger Woods overcame a four-shot deficit going into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic to win the event by a stroke over Ernie Els yesterday. Woods finished at 14-under-par and is two-for-two this year following his command eight-stroke victory at the Buick Invitational …. “It’s the ideal start, isn’t it?” Woods told the media. “You play to win. So far, I’ve done that this year.” J.B. Holmes defeated Phil Mickelson in a playoff Sunday to win the FBR Open for the second time in three years. The win earned Holmes $1.08 million and 4,500 FedEx Cup points … In another playoff ...

Tiger Woods is back on top of the leaderboard at the Dubai Desert Classic. Woods, who won last week’s Buick Invitational, shot an opening round 7-under-par 65 yesterday to go two up on the field in Dubai. Eleven players are tied for second … “I played well today, just a bunch of good golf shots,” Woods told the media after his round. Meanwhile, Charles Warren and Kevin Sutherland share the lead at the FBR Open after the first round. They finished their rounds with a one-stroke lead. Phil Mickelson is three shots back after carding a 3-under 68 … Ian Poulter has said ...