NAPA, Calif. -- Scott Piercy began the new PGA Tour season by pouring in putts and setting the course record at Silverado, a 10-under 62 for a two-shot lead Thursday in the Safeway Open.
His 62 was at least nine shots better than the course average.
Conditions were practically perfect in the morning, and Piercy took advantage. He made 12 birdies , only three of them from inside 10 feet, and he even missed a pair of birdie chances from inside 8 feet.
"I think I made more feet of putts than I did all last season," Piercy said. "I've been working on the putter a lot and trying to get some things figured out. Today was a good start to the season, good start to get some confidence going with the putter."
He wasn't alone in attacking Silverado. Paul Casey, coming off a pair of runner-up finishes in the FedEx Cup playoffs that signaled a return to form, birdied his last three holes for a 64. Patton Kizzire also shot a 64.
Phil Mickelson, playing a domestic PGA Tour event in the fall for the first time in a decade, overcame a bogey-bogey start to post a 69, along with playing partner and defending champion Emiliano Grillo. Bill Haas was added to that group when Tiger Woods withdrew and showed no vulnerability in his game by posting a 66, the best score of the afternoon.
"I got off to a slow start. I wasn't as focused as I need to be," Mickelson said. "But I put myself in a position where tomorrow if I can get hot on the greens -- get perfect greens in the morning -- get it going, shoot 6-, 7-, 8-under par and get right back in it for the weekend."
Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a 3-under 69. Bryce Molder (Conway) had an even-par 72 and David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 2-over 74.
LPGA
Pak wraps up career
INCHEON, South Korea -- Se Ri Pak ended her Hall of Fame career Thursday in front of her adoring home fans in the LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship.
Pak retired in a brief ceremony after shooting an 8-over 80, a result that mattered little to her or the many fans lining the fairways at Sky 72's Ocean Course.
Hampered by left shoulder problems, Pak, 39, said in Phoenix in March that this season would be her last and she stepped away after the first round of the tour's lone South Korean event.
Pak won 25 LPGA Tour titles and five majors, two of them during a rookie season in 1998 that gave women's golf its biggest boost since Nancy Lopez. The youngest player to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame when she was enshrined in 2007 at age 30, Pak won her last LPGA Tour title in 2010. She won 14 times on the Korean LPGA, and captained South Korea's Olympic team -- with Inbee Park winning the gold medal -- in Rio.
Alison Lee shot a 65 to take a three-stroke lead. The 21-year-old American birdied the final two holes and four of the last six.
In-Kyung Kim, the winner two weeks ago in China, was second along with fellow South Korean player Jeong Min Cho, Sweden's Anna Nordqvist, American Lizette Salas and France's Karine Icher.
Evian winner In Gee Chun and U.S. Women's Open champion Brittany Lang topped the group at 69. Lexi Thompson was at 70 along with Brooke Henderson, the Canadian teen playing the third of six consecutive weeks in Asia. Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 63rd at 75.
Gaby Lopez (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 2-over 74.
EUROPEAN
Westwood leads by 1
WATFORD, England -- Lee Westwood returned to form with a 4-under 67 in the first round at the British Masters to lie one shot off a four-way tie for the lead on Thursday.
Westwood failed to win any of his three matches in Europe's heavy loss to the United States at the Ryder Cup, before missing the cut at the Dunhill Links Championship last week following a second-round 82.
However, the former No. 1 rolled in six birdies at The Grove -- five coming in his first eight holes starting at No. 10 -- and said it was "the best I've played in quite a while."
Mikko Ilonen of Finland, Marc Warren of Scotland, Tommy Fleetwood of England and Richard Sterne of South Africa all shot 66s to take a share of the lead.
Alex Noren of Sweden was alongside Westwood and five other Englishmen -- David Horsey, Richard Bland, James Morrison, Andrew Johnston and Lee Slattery -- on 4 under par.
Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick of England shot 70 after two bogeys in his last seven holes.
Sports on 10/14/2016