It’s the Happiest Place on Earth to Stewart (64)

No one knows what it takes to win the Disney Golf Classic better than Payne Stewart, whose eight-under-par 64 at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., gave him the first-round lead Thursday.

Stewart, who has a win and four top-five finishes in the event, holed a 25-foot eagle putt on No. 1 and gave himself enough birdie chances to take a one-stroke lead over David Duval and Frank Lickliter.

Lickliter was arrested two weeks ago in Duluth, Ga., for allegedly using a four-inch pocketknife to threaten a man who had bumped into him and his girlfriend at a bar.

The PGA Tour said it will evaluate an aggravated-assault charge filed against Lickliter, but is not considering disciplinary action at this time.

Defending champion Tiger Woods birdied the last two holes for a 66--matching his best first round as a pro in relation to par--and is two off the pace.

Duval, coming off his first PGA Tour win last week, made bogeys on two of the first three holes, then made nine birdies, all inside 15 feet.

*

Mark O’Meara and Eduardo Romero played 18 near-perfect holes, neither hitting a bunker or a water hazard, until Romero plopped his approach shot in sudden death into the Swilcan Burn on the Old Course for a 2-1 U.S. victory over Argentina in the Dunhill Cup at St. Andrews, Scotland.

Brad Faxon lost to Angel Cabrera, 68-72, and Justin Leonard defeated Jose Coceres by seven strokes with a 65.

In the biggest upset of the day, France defeated Australia, 2-1, in a Group 2 match as both Steve Elkington and Robert Allenby lost.

*

Juli Inkster and Australia’s Karrie Webb shot five-under 67s to share the first-round lead in the Samsung World Championship of Women’s Golf at Seoul.