GOLF Woods gets good start, but Lonard, Lewis better

Greg Norman is many time zones ahead, but one shot behind in Shanghai.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING, Texas -- Peter Lonard won't make this mistake again.
Instead of enjoying some time off with the boys Down Under, the 36-year-old Australian decided to get serious about his fitness and his game during the short offseason. He came to Florida during Christmas break, worked out with his trainer and wound up cracking a rib that kept him off the PGA Tour for six weeks.
"Next year, I'll stay in Australia and get drunk with my mates, like I always do," Lonard said.
The injury set him back this year, but Lonard started to see some progress Thursday in the first round of the Byron Nelson Championship. Despite hitting only six fairways, he hit enough greens and holed enough putts to go around Cottonwood Valley in 6-under 64 to share the lead with J.L. Lewis.
Lewis also played the easier Cottonwood Valley, making no bogeys and all but one of his birdies inside 10 feet.
They were one stroke ahead of Tiger Woods, whose round looked familiar.
After finishing one shot out of the playoff at the Wachovia Championship despite hitting only 43 percent of his fairways, Woods again had a hard time finding the short grass, but certainly found the cup. Another erratic round off the tee was compensated with good iron play and great putting, and he wound up one shot back after a 65 on the TPC at Las Colinas. He was tied with Dudley Hart, who played Cottonwood Valley.
LPGA Tour
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Nancy Scranton shot a 6-under 66 and held a one-stroke lead over Stacy Prammanasudh after the opening round of the inaugural Franklin American Mortgage Championship.
Wendy Ward, Pat Hurst, Candy Hanneman and Mi Hyun Kim had 68s. Wendy Doolan, Angela Stanford, Gloria Park and Lorie Kane were all at 69.
Rain delayed the start of the tournament for 30 minutes, but play never stopped after that at the 6,458-yard Legends Club course even though golfers were allowed to lift, clean and place in the wet conditions.
Asian Open
SHANGHAI, China -- Greg Norman shot a 5-under 67 and was a stroke behind leader Simon Dyson after the first round. The 49-year-old Norman was tied with Prayad Marksaeng, K.J. Choi and Greg Hanrahan.
Dyson, who has been recovering from an elbow injury, finished with 11 birdies for a course-record 66 at the Tomson Pudong Golf Club.