GOLF ROUNDUP : Olazabal Takes Run at Record but Settles for 61

Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain parred the last four holes Thursday for a nine-under-par 61 that set a course and tournament record in the first round of the World Series of Golf at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

Olazabal had a shot at 59, the record low score on the PGA Tour set by Al Geiberger in 1977 at Memphis, but lipped out birdie putts of three and six feet on the 15th and 17th holes.

He went five under par on the first four holes--birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie--and was five under after nine holes despite a bogey. He then shot to nine under with a four consecutive birdies ending with a 22-foot putt on No. 14.

At that point, Olazabal needed two birdies on the last four holes to match the record.

He hit a 2-iron to three feet on the par-3 15th, but the putt lipped out. On the 625-yard par-5 16th, he flipped a sand wedge third shot to 10 feet, and missed again.

Despite driving into a divot on the 17th fairway, Olazabal hit an 8-iron about six feet to the left of the cup, but lipped out that putt, too.

He two-putted from 22 feet for a par on No. 18.

The 61 was the best round of his career and broke the course record of 62 set by Denis Watson in 1984.

Payne Stewart was in second place with a 65, and Larry Mize was in third at 66.

Eight strokes back at 69 were Mike Harwood, Paul Azinger and Joe Ozaki.

Hale Irwin was in a group at 70, and Greg Norman shot a 71.

At Chattanooga, Tenn., Steve Lowery, playing in only his fourth PGA Tour event this year, shot an eight-under par 62 to take a one-stroke lead after one round.

Lowery, who closed out his round with consecutive 15-foot birdie putts, led Jeff Wilson, Tom Pernice Jr. and John Dowdell, all at 63.

Defending champion Chris Patton was ousted from the U.S. Amateur championship by Chris Zambri of Thousand Oaks and USC, 8 and 6, in a first-round match at Denver.

Patton lost the first five holes to Zambri, who later applied the coup de grace with a hole-in-one on the 204-yard par-3 No. 12.

Two other favored players, however, advanced to the second round. Phil Mickelson overcame putting problems to outlast John Grace, 1-up, and two-time Amateur champion Jay Sigel got past Bill Hoefle, 2-up.

Tiger Woods of Cypress fired a three-under-par 69 to move to within one stroke of leader Chris Couch of North Lauderdale, Fla., after three rounds of the PGA Junior Championship at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.