Weir (63) Is Lowest of the Low

Tiger Woods birdied his first five holes and shot a six-under-par 66 Thursday.

That wasn’t enough to take the early lead in the Buick Open at Grand Blanc, Mich.

Mike Weir matched his best round of the season with a 63 to top the leaderboard in the suspended first round, one shot ahead of two-time defending champion Vijay Singh and three in front of Woods.

Joe Durant, Brett Quigley and Woody Austin were two shots back at 65.

“You know you are going to have to [go low], or else you are going to get run over,” Woods said. “You have to shoot something in the 60s, actually mid-60s just to keep pace.”

All of the leaders were fortunate to have morning tee times.

After an early delay because of rain, just over half of the field was unable to complete the first round and those golfers will be back on the course early today, with some needing to play 36 holes before the cut is made -- and that might not happen until Saturday morning.

Weir had four birdies on the front nine and five consecutive on the back to match the opening round he had in February at Pebble Beach, where the Canadian star finished a season-best third.

*

Juli Inkster shot a six-under 66 to take a three-shot lead in the opening round of the Women’s British Open at Lytham St. Annes, England.

Inkster, who at 46 seeks to become the oldest woman to win a major, had a bogey on the final hole after her drive hit a fairway bunker.

Maria Horth and Silvia Cavalleri are tied for second at 69. Annika Sorenstam finished double-bogey, bogey to go from three under to even-par 72 and 16-year-old Michelle Wie bogeyed the opening three holes, finishing at 74.

Inkster, who has a daughter the same age as Wie, won her first two majors 22 years ago. Her most recent was the U.S. Women’s Open in 2002.