IRVING, Texas — Two weeks after withdrawing from the Wells Fargo Championship with a back injury, Swede Peter Hanson charged into a one-shot lead at the Byron Nelson Championship Thursday on a course he barely knows. Hanson, despite having seen only the front nine at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas in practice, piled up six birdies and a sole bogey to card a five-under-par 65 in breezy conditions in Irving, Texas. The 36-year-old stormed to the turn in five-under 30, then offset a bogey at the 14th with a birdie at the last to finish a stroke in front of Australian Marc Leishman, New Zealand's Tim Wilkinson and American former world No. 1 David Duval. Germany's Martin Kaymer, fresh from victory at the Players Championship Sunday, and American Ryan Palmer were among a group of eight players knotted on 67. Hanson, a six-time winner on the European Tour who has yet to taste victory on the PGA Tour, was delighted with his opening 65. “It's always nice to get off to a fast start,” the Swede told reporters after hitting a nine-iron approach to six feet at the par-four 18th to set up his sixth birdie of the day. Duval, who plays a limited schedule on the PGA Tour, surged up the leaderboard with four birdies in his last five holes after very nearly withdrawing from the tournament earlier in the day because of pain in his right elbow. Defending champion Bae Sang-moon of South Korea did not enjoy the best of starts, mixing five birdies with six bogeys and a double at the par-four eighth to card a three-over 73. Local favourite Jordan Spieth, who played with Bae in a high-profile grouping that also included his fellow American Harris English, opened with a 70. English returned a 71. Munoz, Ernst share lead In Williamsburg, US, Spain's Azahara Munoz fired six birdies in a flawless six-under-par 65 Thursday to share the first-round lead with American Austin Ernst at a blustery LPGA Tour's Kingsmill Championship. Ernst's blazing round included an eagle at the par-five third hole along with five birdies and a bogey for her best round since she posted a 62 at the Safeway Classic last year. The leading duo were one shot in front of South Korean Park Hee-young. It was a further stroke back to Thailand's Thidapa Suwannapura and Americans Brittany Lang, Cristie Kerr, Kathleen Ekey, Danielle Kang, Lizette Salas and Lexi Thompson, all on 67. Pepperell leads in Spain Eddie Pepperell of England shot a 4-under 68 for a one-shot lead after the first round of the Spanish Open Thursday. Spanish players Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez were among eight chasing Pepperell at the PGA Catalunya Resort golf course. Garcia, coming off a third-place finish at the Players Championship at Sawgrass, shrugged off jet lag to put himself in contention for his second Spanish Open title — 12 years after his first. A further eight players trailed Pepperell by two strokes, including former British Open champion Paul Lawrie, who was playing for the first time since January because of back and neck problems. — Agencies
