PGA

PGA

Moore shoots 65 at the Memorial Tournament

Dublin

Ryan Moore opened with five birdies in seven holes and never missed a fairway after the first one, posting a 7-under 65 for his best start in his 14th appearance at Muirfield Village. He was one shot ahead of Jordan Spieth, who chipped in for birdie for par and holed a 35-foot eagle putt in the opening round of the Memorial Tournament.

Woods made a pair of late birdies to salvage a 70 in his first round since missing the cut at the PGA Championship. He played his back nine in a foursome with Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose and a rules official in a cart timing them because they were so far out of position.

Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas were in the group ahead of them, and McIlroy hit his tee shot on the par-4 second into a backyard. With no official nearby, he had to walk 300 yards back to the tee to hit again. That took time. Still, walking off the fourth green, the group of Woods, DeChambeau and Rose still had not reached the third tee.

DeChambeau made birdie, took double bogey from a fairway bunker on the next hole and began his title defense with a 74.

Phil Mickelson, using two drivers this week to go after longer tee shots on a half-dozen holes, opened with a 70. Thomas shot a 71 while McIlroy had a 75 with two double bogeys.

LPGA

Higa’s 65 sets US Women’s Open record

CHARLESTON, S.C.

Japan’s Mamiko Higa shot a bogey-free 65 for the lowest round ever in a U.S. Women’s Open debut, taking an early lead at the event.

Higa had three straight birdies on the front nine for a one-shot lead halfway through the opening round at the Country Club of Charleston. Her sixth and final birdie came at the par-3 17th. Esther Henseleit of Germany had a 66 and Celine Boutier of France was next at 67.

The 25-year-old Higa tied for the third-lowest round in U.S. Women’s Open history. Helen Alfredsson holds the record with a 63 in her opening round in 1994.

Haney suspended for women’s golf comment

NEW YORK

Swing coach Hank Haney has been suspended from the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio channel because of saying on his show that a Korean would probably win the U.S. Women’s Open and that he couldn’t name six players on the LPGA Tour.

He then said he would go with “Lee” and if he didn’t have to mention a first name, “I’d get a bunch of them right.”

Haney, who coached Tiger Woods from 2004 to 2010, apologized on Twitter.

A statement from the PGA Tour and SiriusXM said the comments were insensitive and do not represent the views of either party. The statement says Haney has been suspended “at the PGA Tour’s instruction.” Haney says he accepts and suspension and apologized again.

SiriusXM says it is reviewing his status going forward.

Associated Press