Maggert, Jones Out Late but in First at Tucson

The leaderboard for the Tucson Chrysler Classic was jammed until late finishers Jeff Maggert and Steve Jones came along.

Maggert eagled the second hole and birdied three of the last four Thursday for a six-under-par 66, and Jones, who finished on the front nine, birdied four of the last eight holes to share the first-round lead of the $1.3-million event.

They shot their rounds during the afternoon in dry, gusty conditions, usually the toughest combination on desert courses.

Bob Tway, Don Pooley, Clarence Rose, Scott Dunlap and Jeff Hart, a shot behind at 67, all started in the morning when the greens were softer.

So did Kirk Triplett, Brad Bryant and Mark Wiebe, who were bunched with Jay Don Blake two shots off the lead. And six of the seven players at 69 finished their rounds early, David Duval and Tom Kite among them.

An additional 31 players shot better than par 72 on the 7,148-yard Tucson National course.

Among them was three-time champion Phil Mickelson (71), who successfully defended his title last year and then rode the momentum to a championship in Phoenix. This year, Tucson has a new sponsor and a new place on the PGA schedule, four weeks after Phoenix, and only Jones has a chance for a double.

Jones led from start to finish in Phoenix and won with 26 under, one of the lowest 72-hole scores in PGA history. But he liked this round as much as any he played last month.

“This was definitely one of the best rounds I’ve had this year,” the U.S. Open champion said said. “No doubt about it. Club selection was very, very difficult.”

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For a Japan LPGA player who wanted to use her first appearance in the United State as a learning experience, Natsuko Noro is doing quite well.

The six-year veteran of the Japan LPGA Tour shot an opening seven-under-par 65 and held a two-stroke lead over a quartet of LPGA regulars, including two of the biggest names on the tour, Annika Sorenstam and Kelly Robbins, at the LPGA Hawaiian Open in Honolulu.

“My goal was to observe other players and get familiar with these tournaments,” Noro said through an interpreter.

Also at 67 were Hall of Famer Betsy King, who is making a bid to regain the form that put her in the top 10 on the money list for 12 consecutive years, and Tracy Kerdyk.

Leta Lindley and Dale Eggeling were at 68, with Barb Whitehead and Meg Mallon, the last two winners in Hawaii, among a group of six at 69.

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Mark Carnevale, Eric Booker, Tom Kroll and Joe Daley shot five-under-par 67s at Moreno Valley Ranch to tie for the first-round lead of the Nike Inland Empire Open.

Todd Gleaton, Karl Zoller, Lon Hinkle and Bob Gilder were one shot behind.