Woods stays hot in Dubai with 65 and two-shot lead

L.A. Times Archives

Feb. 1, 2008 12 AM PT

From Times Staff and Wire Reports

Tiger Woods, who won the Buick Invitational on Sunday by eight strokes, shot a seven-under-par 65 Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates.

“I played well today, just a bunch of good golf shots,” Woods said after his bogey-free round at the Emirates Golf Club.

Eleven players, including Miguel Angel Jimenez and Abu Dhabi Golf Championship winner Martin Kaymer, were tied for second at 67. Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and defending champion Henrik Stenson were tied with 10 others another stroke back.

“It’s the beginning of the year and I’m still a bit rusty,” Garcia said. “If Tiger doesn’t run away with it, I could be in with a chance come Sunday.”

Woods said he played better in Dubai than he did last week at Torrey Pines.

“I had two good days of practice the last couple days and started to hit the ball a lot better than I did last week,” said Woods, who won the Dubai tournament in 2006.

Charles Warren and Kevin Sutherland shot six-under 65s and shared a one-stroke lead in front of a record opening-round crowd of 83,657 at the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Phil Mickelson overcame two early bogeys on par-five holes and was in a group of 12 three shots back at three-under 68 on the 7,216-yard desert layout.

Warren played a bogey-free round early in the day, then Sutherland birdied the final two holes, the last with a 24-foot putt, in the twilight.

Brian Gay and Camilo Villegas were one shot back at 66.

Twenty-four players were still on the course when play was suspended because of darkness, including Nick O’Hern, who was five under through 14 holes.

Crowds should only get bigger until peaking Saturday, when more than 150,000 are expected.

Partly because of the thousands in town for the Super Bowl, tournament officials say there’s a good chance that overall attendance will top the record of 536,767 set in 2006.

Ten of the top 12 players in the world golf rankings have committed to playing in the Northern Trust Open, Feb. 14-17, at Riviera Country Club. Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Justin Rose, K.J. Choi, Rory Sabbatini, British Open champion Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh and Garcia have entered.

Woods has not entered, and there are indications that he might skip the tournament. He didn’t play last year and has never won at Riviera.

Players have until Feb. 8 to commit.