Weir points the way to lead Canada Open

Published on Thursday 24 July 2008 23:16

HOME favourite Mike Weir and Americans Anthony Kim and Eric Axley fired six-under 65s to share the early first-round lead at the Canadian Open in Oakville, Ontario, yesterday.

Trying to become the first Canadian to lift the title since Pat Fletcher 54 years ago, Weir got his bid off to a bogey-free start at a soggy Glen Abbey course.

Left-hander Weir, who narrowly failed to win the trophy in 2004 when he lost to Fiji's Vijay Singh in a playoff, rolled in a five-footer on his final hole. Axley went one better, eagling the par-5 18th to end his round just before play was suspended due to bad weather.

Kim, chasing his third title of the season, mixed seven birdies with a single bogey.

Lurking two shots back were Americans JP Hayes, Nicholas Thompson and Ryan Armour and Richard Johnson of Wales.

&149 Glasgow's Barry Hume heads the five Scots who made the 36-hole cut yesterday in the Oceanico Algarve championship, this week's event in the Ivobank PGA EuroPro Tour.

The former Scottish amateur champion, whose pro career has never taken off, has had rounds of 70 and 68 to be lying joint eighth on five-under-par 138 behind the two Portuguese leaders Ricardo Santos and Antonio Sobrinho on ten-under 133.

Other Scots qualifiers were Freddy Valentine with 68 and 71 for a share of 10th place on 139; Scott Taylor on 141 (71-70), and Jack Doherty and Elliot Saltman, who made it with nothing to spare on 144. Doherty has had rounds of 69 and 75, Saltman 71 and 73.

Santos recorded six birdies yesterday on the Victoria course (par 72) following seven in Wednesday's opening round on the Millennium course (par 71), but a bogey at 18 stopped him from claiming the outright lead. Sobrinho was two over at the turn on Victoria but tore the back nine apart, getting round in 29 with seven birdies to shoot 67.

Irishman Alan Murray is the closest challenger to Santos and Sobrinho, sitting at eight under for the tournament after his opening round of 67 with a 68 on the Victoria course.

Overnight leader Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge) shot a one-under 71 on Victoria to move to seven under, where he is joined by Noel Fox.