Rookie Leads Last LPGA Major

LPGA Tour rookie Diana D’Alessio needed only 23 putts Thursday in a five-under-par 67 that gave her the first-round lead in the du Maurier Classic at Aylmer, Canada, the final major of the year in women’s golf.

D’Alessio’s career-best round gave her a two-stroke lead over Se Ri Pak, Annika Sorenstam, Kristi Albers, Marisa Baena and Tracy Hanson.

Karrie Webb, seeking to become the first golfer since 1986 to win three majors in one year, shot a 71 at the 6,403-yard Royal Ottawa Golf Club.

Starting on the back nine in one of the first threesomes in the morning, D’Alessio made birdie putts of 15 feet on No. 10, 40 feet on No. 11 and two feet on No. 14 to start the day at the top of the leaderboard.

“Everything went my way today,” she said. “I made a lot of putts. I’ve never had 23 putts before in my life. That’s my career-low putting for a day.”

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For one day, Woody Austin discovered what it’s like to putt as well as Tiger Woods. The result was a nine-under-par 63 that left him stunned, and also leading after the first round of the Buick Open at Grand Blanc, Mich.

Austin, whose only PGA Tour victory came in the ’95 Buick Open, took only 22 putts and made 11 birdies on the pure greens of Warwick Hills Country Club to take a two-stroke lead over Paul Azinger.

Woods, in his first tournament since winning the British Open, three-putted twice--once from 12 feet--but still managed to walk off the course with a two-under 70.

Masters champion Vijay Singh and Joe Ozaki were at 66. Hal Sutton and Billy Mayfair were in the group at 67.

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George Burns had a hole in one in a seven-under-par 65 and held a one-stroke lead over three players after the first round of the $1.45 million AT&T; Canada Senior Open at Winnipeg.

Burns aced the 174-yard No. 2 hole at the St. Charles Country Club.

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Aree Wongluekiet, 14, of Thailand became the youngest semifinalist ever in the U.S. Women’s Amateur, defeating Jimin Kang, 1-up, at Portland, Ore.

Marcy Newton of High Point, N.C., Laura Myerscough of Charleston, Ill., and Yvonne Choe of Temple City, also advanced to the semifinals.