India's Jeev Milkha Singh carded the lowest round of his career Thursday when an eight under par 63 gave him the Irish Open lead and put marquee names Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in the shade. The 39-year-old son of a former Olympic sprinter hit an eagle and six birdies which was six strokes better than British Open winner Clarke, seven better than US Open champion McIlroy and nine better than last year's US Open winner McDowell. Singh's eagle came with a 30-foot putt on the 513-yard seventh. McIlroy enjoyed mixed fortunes as he signed for a one under 70. Playing in his first tournament on home soil since the US Open, the 22-year-old pulled off what he described as “one of the best shots I've ever hit” to save par at the 14th after a spectacular hook around the trees from deep rough onto the green. But he met trouble again on the 18th when, lying at three under par and one off the lead, he went from a fairway bunker into water for his double bogey. Lee leads by 2 shots In Scotland, Meena Lee overcame wet conditions and shot a 7-under 65 Thursday for a two-shot clubhouse lead in the first round of the Women's British Open. The South Korean had seven birdies and no bogeys in her round played mainly in a heavy afternoon downpour. Two strokes back was American Brittany Lincicome, who started her round in good conditions early in the morning and set the early pace with a 5-under 67. Among a group at 68 were American Angela Stanford, South Korea's Amy Yang, Germany's Caroline Masson and Sweden's Sofie Gustafson.
