Zoeller, Streck Tied for Lead

Fuzzy Zoeller birdied the final two holes for a seven-under-par 65 and a share of the first-round lead Thursday with Ron Streck in the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich.

Jim Thorpe, Bruce Lietzke and Scott Simpson shot 67s, leaving them two strokes back in the third of five majors -- and the second of three in a row -- on the Champions Tour.

Allen Doyle, coming off his second consecutive U.S. Senior Open title, was in a group of six at 68 that included Jay Haas and Tom Kite. Tom Watson and Fred Funk were another stroke back, and defending champion Peter Jacobsen shot a 70.

With heavy rain soaking the TPC of Michigan earlier in the week, the Jack Nicklaus-designed course was ready to surrender birdies.

Zoeller and the other 50-and-over competitors were able to aim approaches directly at pins, knowing they would not bounce much or roll far after landing.

Though he tied for 23rd in the U.S. Senior Open, Zoeller said he played well in spurts and that helped him feel confident about playing a course where the fairways looked “90 miles wide” compared to the unforgiving Prairie Dunes in Kansas.

Zoeller had only one bogey and eight birdies, a round strong enough to catch Streck, who surged to the top of the leaderboard with five straight birdies -- one short of the tournament record -- from Nos. 13-17.

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Liselotte Neumann, surrounded by groups that included Hall of Famers and fan favorites Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez, shot a six-under 65 to take the first-round lead at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.

Sung Ah Yim and Reilley Rankin were a shot back at five under. Eleven players were within three shots of the lead, including Se Ri Pak.

Neumann birdied three of four holes after making the turn and finished her round with a birdie. She was consistent all day and stayed away from any bogeys.

Sorenstam, making her first appearance in the tournament since 2001, was four shots behind the leader after a 69.

Hall of Famer Lopez, 49, playing in an LPGA Tour event for the first time in more than a year, finished with an 81. She plans to play in more tournaments.