Hughes Leads by Three After 63

Bradley Hughes, a 1994 Presidents Cup international team member fighting for his PGA Tour existence, made a big move toward solving his problems Friday in the Michelob Championship at Williamsburg, Va.

Hughes shot a career-best eight-under-par 63 on his second trip over the Kingsmill Golf Club’s River Course to reach the midpoint at 11 under.

He leads David Sutherland by three shots and a big group of others, including David Duval and Loren Roberts, by four heading into the weekend, when temperatures are expected to drop about 30 degrees into the 50s.

Tom Scherrer also was at seven under after a remarkable round that started with him at even par and just hoping to make the cut.

Scherrer clinched that with a career-best seven-under 29 on the front. He got to nine under after 16 holes before closing with his second and third bogeys of the round.

Two weeks ago, Hughes was at No. 126 on the money list, one spot below the cutoff for winning exemption next year without having to requalify.

Desperate, Hughes switched from the wound ball he’d used for years to a two-piece, and his distance--and confidence--returned immediately.

He made the cut for only the fourth time in 17 events last week and finished tied for 32nd, his best finish since a tie for third in February.

“I had changed clubs and my swing, my hairstyle, done everything,” he said. “Nothing was working. . . . Now I know if I have the yardage, I can just go ahead and hit it and know that it is going to get there.”

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Annika Sorenstam led the Europeans to a 5 1/2-2 1/2 lead over the stunned U.S. team after the first day of the Solheim Cup at Luss, Scotland.

Several British newspapers suggested the underdog Europeans--losers four times in five Cups, the women’s version of the Ryder Cup--needed to be repackaged as an all-world team to handle the Americans.

Sorenstam, who won her two matches Friday and has claimed almost every other title in women’s golf, wasn’t buying it and she gave her team an inspirational speech the night before.

It seemed to work.

Europe swept to a 4-0 lead in morning foursomes (alternate shot)--the first time any team has been shut out in a session--as Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas defeated Dottie Pepper and Juli Inkster, 4 and 3.

That set the tone. It marked the first time since 1992 that Europe won the opening match. That year--also in Scotland--Europe captured its only Solheim.

For Pepper, it was her first defeat after five consecutive wins in the Solheim and saw her rested for afternoon play after being out 2 1/2 months with a back injury.

The Americans need 13 points to retain the cup and Europe needs 13 1/2 to win it with six fourball (best ball) matches today and 12 singles Sunday.

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Defending champion Colin Montgomerie shot an event record 11-under 61 en route to defeating Padraig Harrington for a semifinal berth at the World Match Play Championship at Virginia Water, England.

The four top-seeded players advanced.

Montgomerie, who has won four titles on the Wentworth course, defeated Harrington, 5 and 3. His semifinal opponent will be 1997 winner Vijay Singh. The Masters champion defeated Darren Clarke, 5 and 4

Second-seeded Ernie Els edged fellow South African Retief Goosen, 2 and 1, and Lee Westwood fought off Sergio Garcia by the same score.

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Jim Colbert, the 1998 winner, shot a six-under 66 for a share of the first-round lead in the Transamerica Senior Golf Championship at Napa, Calif.

John Mahaffey, Hugh Baiocchi and Jesse Patino also opened with 66s on the Silverado Country Club course.