GOLF ROUNDUP : Woods Advances Easily in U.S. Amateur

Three-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion Tiger Woods of Cypress credited his putter after an easy 6-and-4 victory over Chris Sladish of Aswego, N.Y., in the first round of match play of the U.S. Amateur golf championships at Houston.

Brian Gay of Daleville, Ala., the medalist, also advanced after making a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to defeat Van Phillips of England.

Other notables moving on were defending champion Justin Leonard of Dallas, with a 3-and-2 victory over Michael Wodson of Rochester, N.Y.; Walker Cup players Tim Herron of Wayzata, Minn.; Jay Sigel of Berwyn, Pa.; John Harris of Edina, Minn.; David Berganio of Sylmar and Danny Yates of Atlanta.

U.S. Walker Cup members went 7-1.

Chris Couch of North Lauderdale, Fla., who played in the PGA’s Honda Classic at age 16 four years ago, also won.

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Jim Gallagher took advantage of a monster drive, birdied the final hole and tied David Edwards for the first-round lead in the World Series of Golf at Akron, Ohio.

Gallagher and Edwards each had four-under-par 66s despite the firm, fast fairways and quick, tricky greens that made the Firestone Country Club course play at its toughest.

Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson each shot 77 in the sweltering heat. Davis Love III, pausing occasionally to wipe perspiration from his face and hands, shot 75.

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Canada’s Dawn Coe-Jones double-eagled the fourth hole and shot a course-record 64 to take a one-stroke lead in the duMaurier Classic at London, Canada.

Coe-Jones sank a four-iron approach from 179 yards to get to five-under in the final major of the season on the LPGA tour.

Coe-Jones’s afternoon surge swiped the lead from morning leader Betsy King, whose 65 featured five birdies, an eagle and a bogey.