Lickliter on His Way With First-Round 63

Frank Lickliter, a 27-year-old rookie who has to finish no lower than 10th this week if he wants to keep his PGA Tour card, shot a nine-under-par 63 to share the first-round lead with Steve Lowery at the Disney Golf Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Another stroke behind were Jeff Sluman and Joey Gullion.

Sluman is trying to hold his position in the top 30 on the money list, which would qualify him for next week’s $3-million Tour Championship and secure his spot in the Masters and U.S. Open.

Gullion, 163rd on the money list, has to finish in the top three to keep his playing card.

The pressure is not new for Lickliter. He won his only event on the Nike Tour last year by holing a 15-foot par putt on the last hole. Then, after a miserable start, he put together four rounds in the 60s to survive qualifying school in December.

“I’m trying to shoot the low round every day. If I do that, I should be all right,” said Lickliter, who is 138th on the money list with $136,054.

Tiger Woods, 34th on the money list, shot a three-under-par 69.

Disney’s decision to lower ticket prices to $5 came before Woods announced he would play. Galleries usually aren’t enough to circle any green, but when Woods teed off Thursday, about 3,000 people lined the fairway from tee to green.

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Phil Mickelson’s desperation bunker shot on the final hole disappeared into the cup on a fly, then incredibly bounced out, giving Vijay Singh the first-round contest in the World Match Play championship at Virginia Water, England.

The shocking turn of events came when it seemed Mickelson had successfully rallied from 5-down after seven holes to catch Singh on the 36th hole and force the match to sudden death.

In other matches, Steve Stricker defeated Australian Steve Elkington, 3 and 2; Mark O’Meara routed Nobuo Serizama of Japan. 7 and 5; and Colin Montgomerie of Scotland came from 2-down to beat Ian Woosnam of Wales, 3 and 2.

Singh plays Steve Jones, O’Meara takes on Tom Lehman, Montgomerie faces Mark Brooks and Stricker tackles defending champion Ernie Els of South Africa in today’s second-round play.

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Emilee Klein and Annika Sorenstam tied for the first-round lead in the LPGA’s World Championship of Women’s Golf by firing six-under-par 66s at Seoul, South Korea.

Golf Notes

Jack Nicklaus, Laura Davies and Fred Couples are among the featured players for this year’s Wendy’s Three-Tour Challenge. The made-for-television event will be played for the first time at the Lake Las Vegas Resort at Henderson, Nev., on Nov. 26. It will be aired Dec. 29 on ABC.