GOLF ROUNDUP : Cook, Faxon Share Lead in Canadian

John Cook made a 75-foot chip shot and two 30-foot putts on his way to a seven-under-par 65 and a share of the first-round lead in the Canadian Open Thursday at Oakville, Canada.

Cook, who missed most of last season after hand and wrist surgery, was tied with Brad Faxon, who had a bogey-free round at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in the province of Ontario. Faxon one-putted 11 times, had four birdies from 20 feet or more and dropped a 15-foot putt to save par on the final hole.

“Chipping and putting usually are my strong points, but obviously this was a little better than usual,” Faxon said.

While the two Americans shared the lead, two Canadians put themselves in position to become the first home-grown winner of this national championship in 36 years.

Dave Barr was a shot off the lead at 66, and Richard Zokol, who had his career-best finish in a runner-up role three weeks ago, was in a huge group tied for fourth at 68.

Included in the group at 68 were PGA champion Wayne Grady, Curtis Strange, and Wayne Levi, the only three-time winner on the American tour this season.

Beth Daniel, the leading money-winner on the Ladies Professional Golf Assn. tour, has withdrawn from the MBS LPGA tournament next week at Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park.

“The players have until one week prior to a tournament to make their final decision,” an LPGA official said from the organization’s headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla. “She apparently changed her mind, but she doesn’t have to give us a reason if she does it before the deadline.”

Daniel has earned an LPGA-record $658,782 this year and has won four of her last five tournaments.