Nilsmark Has Major First Round in LPGA

First the tournament was shortened because of weather and the desire for national television exposure for its final round.

It’s the first “major” golf championship for either gender to make such a concession to the weather and television.

Then the DuPont course in Wilmington, Del., was shortened because it was so wet.

“Well, they moved the tees up 40, 50 yards,” Laura Davies said. “It’s like pitch and putt. The tees were fine where they were. It’s a major championship.”

It’s the LPGA Championship, and Catrin Nilsmark shot a four-under-par 67 on Friday to take a one-shot lead after the first round.

Alison Nicholas was a shot behind. Davies was at 72 and complaining about a shortened course that took away her long game.

Nilsmark, who had been fighting a hook, spent the rainy Thursday beating balls. She spent Friday hitting 17 greens.

“I went out and solved some problems on the range yesterday,” said Nilsmark. “So I was happy with the cancellation.”

So was Nicholas.

“Went to the shopping mall,” she said.

Six players were bunched at 69.

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Phil Mickelson said he simply hit the ball where his caddie told him to hit it, and he did it well enough to shoot a five-under-par 65 on a course he had never played to take the 36-hole lead in the Byron Nelson Classic in Irving, Texas.

The round at Cottonwood Valley put him at eight-under-par 132, one shot better than Nick Price, Corey Pavin and Mike Brisky.

“If it wasn’t for Byron I wouldn’t be here,” Mickelson said. “But I promised him I would come after I missed last year. He is such a classy guy. It would mean a lot for me to win a tournament named after him.”

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Bob Charles, using a new putter, shot a seven-under-par 65 for a three-stroke lead over four players in the opening round of the Senior PGA Nationwide Championship in Alpharetta, Ga.