Aoki Is Surviving the Salem Trials

Isao Aoki took over Bruce Fleisher’s position at the U.S. Senior Open at Peabody, Mass., on Friday--all alone under par and atop the leaderboard.

Aoki shot 68 and moved into the lead at one under par when Fleisher bogeyed the last two holes on a Salem Country Club course that bewitched the field for a second consecutive day.

“We were shooting at greens shaped like the top of Volkswagens,” said Jack Nicklaus, who shot 72 to land in a tie for 10th at three over.

Gil Morgan had another even-par 70 to tie Fleisher, who shot 71 on the heels of a 69, the only score in the first round under par. Larry Nelson, who before the tournament dared the USGA to make the course challenging, shot 67 and was tied for fourth with Dana Quigley at one over.

A day after the course tamed the field with stiff winds and tucked-in pins, the players broke through.

Jim Thorpe shot 65--the best round of the tournament so far--to improve to two over and move into a sixth-place tie with Ray Floyd, Jim Ahern and Jim Colbert.

Aoki had five birdies to go with three bogeys. He hit a nine-iron to 12 feet on No. 8, his 17th hole of the day, and knocked in the putt to take the lead.

Joe Ogilvie shot a six-under 64 in windy afternoon conditions and was in a record-tying, eight-man tie for the midway lead in the Greater Hartford Open.

Ogilvie matched Jerry Kelly, Chris DiMarco, Scott Simpson, Doug Dunakey, Shigeki Maruyama, Edward Fryatt and Jay Don Blake at eight-under 132 on the TPC at River Highlands at Cromwell, Conn.

The eight-man tie for the top spot matched the tour record set in the first round of the 2000 Honda Classic.

Ogilvie holed a seven-iron from 176 yards for eagle on his opening hole--the 462-yard, par-four 10th--and had six birdies and two bogeys.

Pat Hurst shot a course- and tournament-record-tying eight-under 63 to take the lead in the opening round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic at Absecon, N.J.

Hurst, who finished tied for second in last year’s tournament, chipped in from 30 feet for an eagle on the par-five, 475-yard third hole and went on to make six birdies.

Her finish on the hot, breezy Marriott Seaview Resort course tied a record set by Se Ri Pak in 1999 and equaled last year by Maria Hjorth.

Hurst is two shots ahead of Betsy King, Lorie Kane and Dina Ammaccapane, who were all at six under.

Overnight leader Colin Montgomerie shot a two-under 69 to hold a two-stroke edge over England’s Anthony Wall after two rounds of the Irish Open at Cork.

Montgomerie dropped two strokes in his first eight holes but birdied the long 18th--he started at No. 10--and then birdied the fourth through sixth holes to finish the day at 10-under 132.