Fleisher Soars With an Eagle

Bruce Fleisher, John Jacobs and South African Hugh Baiocchi matched the first-round record with seven-under-par 65s to share the lead in the Senior Players Championship on Thursday at Dearborn, Mich.

Tom Kite, Bob Murphy and Jesse Patino were a stroke back under almost perfect conditions at the TPC of Michigan.

Leonard Thompson, Allen Doyle and Jerry McGee shot 67s.

Defending champion Hale Irwin, still trying to settle down after his victory two weeks ago in the U.S. Senior Open, was three strokes behind the leaders at 68.

Fleisher holed a four-iron from 197 yards for eagle on the par-four 14th.

“I had some doubts when it was in the air,” said Fleisher, a three-time winner this season who went into the championship trailing Irwin by $10,474 on the money list. “But, gosh, that was pretty.”

Brian Barnes, who shot 68, made the second double eagle in tournament history. Using a three-wood from 263 yards out, Barnes knocked the ball into the cup on No. 7, a 542-yard par five.

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Jerry Kelly thinks he could be destined to win the Greater Milwaukee Open. His first-round performance suggests he might be on to something.

Jay Williamson and Kenny Perry shot seven-under 64s to share the lead, one stroke ahead of a group of five players that includes Madison native Kelly. With an enthusiastic gallery cheering his every move, Kelly birdied three of four holes late in his round and held a share of the lead before bogeying his final hole to finish with a 65.

Kelly has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but he has consistently performed well in front of the home fans. His best career finish was a second place in the 1996 GMO, and last year he held a lead on the tournament’s final day before falling to Carlos Franco.

“I kind of feel like I’m destined to win somewhere, and this has been my best tournament,” Kelly said. “You put two and two together, maybe.”

Corey Pavin, Frank Lickliter, Loren Roberts and Cameron Beckman matched Kelly’s 65. Franco was one of six players at 66.

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Kim Williams, the last player into the field for the LPGA Big Apple Classic, was tied for first after the first round at New Rochelle, N.Y.

Williams, the first alternate who found out she was playing only two hours before teeing off, shot a four-under 67 and was tied with Rosie Jones and Allison Finney at Wykagyl Country Club.

Annika Sorenstam, coming off her fourth victory of the year, and Michele Redman and Jennifer Feldott were tied for fourth with 69s.

“I got here about 10 o’clock last night. I drove up from my mom’s house in Maryland,” Williams said. “I got here at 6:30 this morning--you have to if you’re first alternate--and right after I got here I saw one of the officials and they said ‘You know you’re in?’ I said ‘No.’ They said ‘Yeah, you’re in for Wendy Doolan.’ ”

Doolan was forced to withdraw because of a hand injury.

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Nick Faldo shot a 69 and is part of a five-way tie for the lead after two rounds of the Loch Lomond International at Glasgow, Scotland, and pronounced himself a contender again.

“What I’m trying to prove to everybody is there’s a bit of life left in the old dog,” said Faldo, who hasn’t won in three years and turns 44 next week on the eve of the British Open.

Joining Faldo at six-under 136 were Ernie Els, Australian teenager Adam Scott, Richard Green of Australia and Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin. First-round leader Notah Begay, who had a one-over 72, was a stroke back, tied with Tom Lehman and New Zealand’s Michael Campbell.