EUROPEAN TOUR:Bradley Dredge made the perfect start to the defence of his European Masters title with a five-under-par 66 to take a two-shot lead in Switzerland yesterday.
Most of the afternoon field were unable to finish their rounds because of the morning delay due to frost.
But Australian Marcus Fraser, Mikko Ilonen and Argentine Eduardo Romero carded 68 to take a share for second. English pair Lee Westwood and Paul Casey also managed to finish in time, with both returning cards of 71.
Dredge's flawless round contained three birdies and an eagle two on the seventh, where he holed out from 120 yards.
"The course seems to suit me," said the 34-year-old Dredge, who won by eight shots at the same course last year.
The 53-year-old Romero finished his round with an eagle at 15 and a last-hole birdie to grab his share of second place.
Oliver Wilson faces a three-yard putt on the 15th to close within a stroke of Dredge when he returns to the course this morning.
Graeme McDowell is best of the Irish on two-over-par 73. Peter Lawrie shot 74 while Darren Clarke struggled for 75 and an out of form Damien McGrane shot 77.
PGA TOUR: American Jonathan Byrd birdied three of his last four holes to grab a one-shot lead in the BMW Championship in Lemont, Illinois yesterday.
The three-times PGA Tour winner fired a seven-under-par 64 in the first round at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club to take charge in the penultimate leg of the inaugural FedExCup playoff series.
Britain's Justin Rose, who reeled off six birdies in a blistering front nine of 29, opened with a 65 to finish level with Colombian Camilo Villegas.
Americans Stewart Cink, Troy Matteson and Pat Perez were a further stroke back while triple champion Tiger Woods, red-hot favourite this week, returned a 67.
World number one Woods, tournament winner in 1997, 1999 and 2003, has posted seven top-10 finishes at Cog Hill in nine starts. Byrd, who clinched his third PGA Tour title at the John Deere Classic in July, birdied his opening hole, the par-four 10th, before reaching the turn in four-under 32.
After bogeying the par-three second, he picked up further shots at the third, sixth, seventh and eighth in relatively benign conditions.
SENIORS TOUR: Seeking to emulate one of his golfing heroes, Christy O'Connor, as a winner of the PGA Seniors Championship, Jimmy Heggarty was happy with his opening round of one under par 71 at the Stoke-by-Nayland Club, where Canada's Bruce Heuchan and England's Carl Mason co-lead on five under par after firing 67 over the Gainsborough Course.
Scotland's defending champion, Sam Torrance, in his bid to match O'Connor and England's Neil Coles as triple PGA Championship winners in consecutive years, opened with a two under par 70.
LET TOUR:France's Jade Schaeffer fired a five-under-par 66 to take the first round lead at the Nykredit Masters in Denmark. The 21-year-old LET rookie carded seven birdies and two bogeys to take a one-stroke lead over five players on four-under-par.
Schaeffer's compatriots Virginie Lagoutte-Clement and Cassandra Kirkland were among the quintet just one shot off the pace. They are joined by Sweden's Lotta Wahlin, Australian Sarah Kemp and 20-year-old Danish amateur Monica Christiansen, who all finished with rounds of 67.
Claire Coughlan is five shots back after a 71, Martina Gillen fired a 74 while Rebecca Coakley shot 76.
AMATEUR:Darren Crowe has cried off the Irish team for the Home Internationals at Co Louth GC on September 19th-21st. The South of Ireland champion has failed to recover from a back injury sustained last month and will be replaced by fellow Ulsterman Connor Doran from Banbridge.
Deirdre Smith has withdrawn from the Women's Home International team having picked up a wrist injury. Victoria Bradshaw will take her place.
