Johnson has lead after an ace, 63

Richard S. Johnson aced the 14th hole on his way to shooting a seven-under-par 63 that gave him a one-stroke lead over the Pappas brothers after the first round of the U.S. Bank Championship on Thursday at Milwaukee.

Deane and Brenden Pappas shot 64 and Robert Garrigus, Dean Wilson and Patrick Sheehan were another shot behind. Defending champion Joe Ogilvie and Jesper Parnevik were in a group of 10 tied at 66.

Johnson’s hole in one with a seven-iron was the 18th this year on the PGA tour but the first on the Brown Deer Park Golf Course since Tiger Woods did it in 1996 in his first tournament as a professional.

The ace followed three birdies. Johnson had a bogey two holes later but sank a putt of just under 10 feet on the par-five 18th to regain the lead.

Kenny Perry, who won the tournament in 2003, shot 67.

Nobody was happier to be playing than Perry, who could finally get away from the criticism that has come his way because he decided to play in this tournament instead of the British Open.

“It’s nice to get back in my office. It’s nice to get back where I don’t have to listen to all that baloney,” said Perry, who has won three of the last five tournaments he started, including last week’s John Deere Classic.

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Christina Kim shot a nine-under 63 at Springfield, Ill., to take a one-stroke lead at the State Farm Classic, a tournament she just missed winning last year.

Kim had seven birdies, an eagle and no bogeys.

Sun Young Yoo finished a stroke behind Kim at 64 after shooting an eight-under 28 for the first nine holes, tying the best score in LPGA history.

But Yoo’s back nine included a pair of bogeys and, she said, fatigue and a loss of concentration.

“I think I lost a little focus on putting,” Yoo said.

Michelle Wie had a 67, her best score of the year.

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Kyle Leach defeated Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, 2 and 1 in third-round match play to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links at Aurora, Colo.

“I beat the top United States amateur,” Leach said. “It’s overwhelming.”

Leach, of Louisville, Ky., earned a shot at Fowler by beating Scott Langley, 1-up earlier in the day.

“I went out and stuck to my game,” said Leach, a junior to be at Bellarmine University in Louisville. “My putter was great, and I made a lot of putts.”

John Chin of Temecula was among the quarterfinalists.