Golf | Woods shoots 65 for lead in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Tiger Woods picked up right where he left off last week — at the top of the leaderboard.

Woods, who won the Buick Invitational on Sunday by eight strokes, shot a 7-under-par 65 on Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

"I played well today, just a bunch of good golf shots," Woods said after his bogey-free round at the Emirates Golf Club.

Eleven players, including Miguel Angel Jimenez, were tied for second at 67. Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and defending champion Henrik Stenson were tied with 10 others another stroke back.

Woods said he played better in Dubai than he did last week at Torrey Pines.

"I had two good days of practice the last couple days and started to hit the ball a lot better than I did last week," said Woods, who won the Dubai tournament in 2006.

"I had a couple of good opportunities to make some putts and just kind of ran them over the edge, but overall today was just — couldn't ask for a better start," the world's No. 1 player said.

Jet lag also didn't appear to bother him.

"The better shape I've gotten, the easier it is. I don't usually have a problem. It usually takes me maybe a day and I'm good to go," said Woods, who arrived in Dubai on Tuesday after flying halfway around the world to the oil-rich United Arab Emirates.

Warren, Sutherland lead PGA event

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Charles Warren and Kevin Sutherland shared a one-stroke lead in front of a record opening-round crowd of 83,657 at the FBR Open.

Phil Mickelson overcame two early bogeys on par-5 holes and was in a group of 12 three shots back at 3-under 68 on the 7,216-yard desert layout.

Warren played a bogey-free round of 6-under 65 early in the day, then Sutherland birdied the final two holes, the last with a 24-foot putt, in the twilight.

Brian Gay and Camilo Villegas were one shot back at 5-under 66.

Six were two shots behind at 4-under 67, and another two were still on the course at 4 under.

Seattle native Fred Couples shot a 1-over 71, and Ryan Moore from Puyallup had a 75.

Twenty-four players were still on the course at 5:58 p.m. when play was suspended because of darkness, including Nick O'Hern, who was 5 under through 14 holes.

The start of the tournament was delayed for 30 minutes because of frost on the TPC layout. It was 35 degrees when the first group finally teed off at 8:10 a.m.

Note

• Finland's Ursula Wikstrom led the Women's Australian Open by a stroke after shooting a 3-under 70 during the first round in Melbourne.