GOLF McGee, two others trail Morgan in Kroger Classic

Paul Azinger was penalized two strokes in the Canadian Open.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MAINEVILLE -- Gil Morgan closed with a pair of birdies for a 7-under 65 Friday to take a one-stroke lead over Larry Nelson, Jerry McGee and Bruce Summerhays in the first round of the Kroger Classic.
Nelson missed a chance to tie for the lead when his 30-foot birdie putt burned the edge of the cup on 18. He already had eagled the 553-yard, par-5 eighth, as did Jim Thorpe, who was alone in fifth at 67.
Seven players were tied at 68.
Altogether, 48 players in the 81-golfer field shot better than par 72 over the 7,064-yard Tournament Players Club at River's Bend, where the "lift, clean, replace" rule was in effect because of heavy rains earlier this week.
PGA
HAMILTON, Ontario -- Paul Azinger lost two strokes and a lofty spot on the Canadian Open leaderboard in the second television-related ruling of his career.
Azinger was penalized Friday after a TV viewer alerted PGA Tour officials that the veteran player's caddie, Ted Scott, removed the flagstick from the hole while playing partner Fred Funk's ball was still in motion on the 13th green -- barely moving about 2 feet past the cup after a chip.
"The rules of golf sometimes can be harsh," said Mike Shea, the tour's senior director of rules who also took part in a TV-related ruling involving Azinger in 1991 at Doral. "Paul handled it very well. He took his medicine like a man."
The ruling left Azinger with a 2-under 68, putting him three strokes behind leader Charles Howell III after the second round. Azinger was found to be in breach of Rule 17-2b for "unauthorized attendance" of the flagstick.
Rule 17-2b states: "In stroke play, if a fellow competitor or his caddie attends, removes or holds up the flagstick without the competitor's authority or prior knowledge while the competitor is making a stroke or his ball is in motion, the fellow competitor shall incur the penalty for breach of this rule."
"It's clear in black and white," Azinger said during ESPN's broadcast. "I understand that, but common sense ...
"You just kind of grin and bear it. I've got two more days to play and maybe it will inspire me to do better. It's just one of those things."
Howell, seeking his second victory in three full seasons on the PGA Tour, shot a 68 on the historic Hamilton Golf and Country Club course to take a one-stroke lead over Tom Byrum (69) and Japanese players Kenichi Kuboya (67) and Hidemichi Tanaka (70).
LPGA
TULSA, Okla. -- Karrie Webb found her swing and a bit of confidence just in time, making birdies on her final four holes to lead the opening round of the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic.
Webb felt "pretty good" about her chances after finishing with a 5-under par 65. Mustering more bravado after a year of disappointments was difficult for her.
"I just don't go into the tournament every week almost expecting to have a top 10 or a top 5 finish like I did two or three years ago," she said. "I just go in there now and try really to play hole by hole and not get too far ahead of myself."
Webb finished one stroke ahead of Donna Andrews and four strokes ahead of defending champion Annika Sorenstam at the Tulsa Country Club. Tammie Green was third with a 3-under 67.
Webb, who in 2001 became the youngest woman ever to win a career Grand Slam, has struggled even to have a couple of close finishes. The 28-year-old Australian's confidence reached a low point earlier in the year, she said.
"I knew the gap that was between me playing really good and playing so-so and finishing 20th every week was my mind, just a little bit of confidence," she said.
A slow start Friday left Webb just 1-under par and well in the pack when she missed the fairway on the No. 13. But then she made her shot through the trees and found momentum down the stretch.
She hit a wedge to about 12 feet and sank her putt on the No. 15. Using an 8-iron, she set up birdie putts from the same distance on the final three holes.
"I'm just trying to get some consistency back in there," she said.
Andrews soared on the front nine, going six-under after six birdies in the first seven holes. After chipping in from an overshot green for a birdie on the No. 7, she raised her palms in apparent amazement at her own performance.