England's David Howell showed a long overdue return to form as he shot a 7-under 64 to take the first round lead at the Irish Open on Thursday. The 35-year-old former Ryder Cup player has slumped to 479th in the world after a high of ninth in 2006 when he won the PGA Championship. In the past year he has considered retirement after working as a TV commentator during Major tournaments for which he had not qualified player. However, he managed five birdies and an eagle at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club on Thursday to earn a one shot lead ahead of Australia's Richard Green and Ireland's Damien McGrane. “I never wanted to give up,” said Howell. Howell had arrived in Ireland with 10 missed cuts on his 2010 record and no finish higher than his 14th at The Open de Espana in April. McGrane could have been overawed when the draw paired him to play with recent two Irish major winners. But where US Open champion Graeme McDowell could only shoot a 1-under 71 and Padraig Harrington a 78, McGrane lifted his game with five birdies in a bogey free 66. Green liked Killarney's relatively short 7,161-yard layout saying it suited his game more than many modern tournament venues. Killarney is an old school golf course and I felt comfortable out there. For less than half an hour McGrane and Green were joined at six under by Englands Robert Rock. But he was disqualified for transposing two scores in his 65. It was a second Irish disappointment for the 33-year-old Rock, who last year lost a play off for the Irish Open title to the then amateur Shane Lowry. Tseng, Hull set pace Taiwan's Yani Tseng and Australian Katherine Hull posted four under 68s to lead by a stroke after the first round of the Women's British Open at Royal Birkdale Thursday. Tseng, twice a major winner in this year's Kraft Nabisco Championship and the LPGA Championship in 2008, staked her claim to a third one with her bogey-free display, finishing with birdie-eagle. Hull, who was in one of the late groups out, eagled the 18th in front of the deserted stands to join Tseng at four-under. She dropped a stroke at the fourth, had birdies at the seventh, ninth and 10th, and then her closing eagle to trim three strokes off par on the way home. Tseng made just one birdie on the front nine to be out in 34 and then parred all the way to the 17th before her spectacular finish. Trailing the leaders are Anne-Lise Caudal of France, who posted the first 69 of the day, and was followed by South Korea's Amy Lang and Sun Young Yoo, along with Brittany Lincicome of the United States. Earlier veteran Julie Inkster had taken the clubhouse lead with a 71 and was soon joined on 1-under by Jiyai Shin, the South Korean winner of the Evian Masters in France at the weekend. England's Laura Davies shot a level-par 72. Defending champion Catriona Matthews had a three over 75, while new U.S. Open champion Paula Creamer shot a 74 with LPGA champion Cristie Kerr going one better on 73.
