Mucha’s Ace Helps Her to 68 and Lead

Helped by a hole in one on No. 17, golfer Barb Mucha shot a four-under-par 68 Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Tournament of Champions, the year’s opening LPGA event, at Orlando, Fla.

Playing in her hometown, Mucha toured the Grand Cypress Resort course in 36-32, despite making a bogey on No. 18 after the second ace of her LPGA career.

“I hit a six-iron kinda fat,” she said of the hole in one on the 164-yard hole. “It hit about six paces on the green and kept rolling. I really thought it was going to be short but it was dead on line. Then it just kept rolling and rolling and then it was, ‘My God, it went in!’ ”

One stroke behind was Beth Daniel. Betsy King and Tammie Green were at 71.

Football

With Dennis Erickson moving on to coach the Seattle Seahawks, the University of Miami began its search for his successor, and Colorado State Coach Sonny Lubick, a former Hurricane assistant, is high on the list.

Lubick has given Miami only until today to contact him about the job, saying he owed as much to Colorado State.

Tennis

Andre Agassi, second seeded and seeking his second successive Grand Slam tournament title, drew qualifiers for his first two matches of the Australian Open and should not face difficulty before the quarterfinals.

Defending champion and top-seeded Pete Sampras faces a tougher draw, getting Italy’s Gianluca Pozzi in the first round, then fast-improving Jared Palmer.