Robert Karlsson, the tallest player on the European Tour, recovered from a double bogey at the first to surge into an early tie for the lead in the US PGA Championship first round on Thursday. The six-foot, five-inch Swede took advantage of ideal morning conditions to card a two-under-par 68 at a sun-drenched Oakland Hills Country Club, finishing level with Indian Jeev Milkha Singh. Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Americans Sean O'Hair, Billy Mayfair and Ken Duke opened with 69s while Phil Mickelson, tournament favorite in the absence of the injured Tiger Woods, shrugged off a bogey-bogey start to card a 70. Singh, who missed the cut in his US PGA Championship debut at Southern Hills last year, shrugged off an ankle problem to vault up the leaderboard with a round featuring an eagle at the par-five second. British Open champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland, twice winner Vijay Singh and South African world number five Ernie Els were among the late starters. Sorenstam leads Annika Sorenstam birdied six of her last eight holes to take a 1-shot lead after the opening round of the Scandinavian TPC on Thursday. The Swede, who is hosting the Ladies European Tour event for the last time, started on the 10th hole in rainy weather. She parred the first 10 holes, then reeled off four birdies. She also birdied the last two holes for a 66. Johanna Head of England, who was 7-under until she bogeyed the 17th and 18th, shared second at 67 with Anna Rossi of Italy. Jill McGill, the only American LPGA Tour player in the field, shot 69 and shared fourth place with four others. Sorenstam, who will quit in December to start a family and focus on her business and other golf interests, had never played a competitive round on the course, although it's only an hour's drive from her parents hometown north of Stockholm where she grew up and honed her game. A big gallery followed Sorenstam's group despite pouring rain virtually all day long.
