Lewis Shares Lead With McLardy

J.L. Lewis and Andrew McLardy shot seven-under-par 64s on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Ill.

Lewis had a bogey-free round on the TPC at Deere Run, while McLardy, from Zimbabwe, had eight birdies and a bogey.

Jerry Smith and Australians Paul Gow and Stephen Allan were a stroke back, and Brian Claar, David Morland IV, Steve Lowery and Edward Fryatt followed at 66. Gow is coming off a playoff loss to Jeff Sluman last week in the B.C. Open.

D.A. Weibring, the Deere Run designer who won in 1979, 1991 and 1995, opened with a 69.

Lewis, whose lone tour title came in this event two years ago at Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, has made 16 of 19 cuts this year, including eight in a row. He’s 89th on the money list with $378,772.

Defending champion Michael Clark II shot a 74.

Jack Nicklaus eagled the first hole and finished with a one-under 70 to trail leaders John Bland and Denis Durnian by two strokes after the first round of the Senior British Open at Newcastle, Northern Ireland.

All three recorded their scores in the morning before the wind grew stronger on the 6,614-yard Royal County Down course 30 miles south of Belfast.

“I suppose 70 . . . is a pretty good score but I think I played better than that,” the 61-year-old Nicklaus said. “Given the start I had, it should have been better.”

Former European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher carded a 69 in the afternoon for a third-place tie with Bob Charles, Brian Huggett, John Morgan and Nobori Sugai.

Three-time winner Gary Player shot a 72 but Arnold Palmer had an 84, tying for the worst score of the day with four other players.

“It is terrible,” said Palmer, 71. “It hurts when you play as poorly as this.”