Golf roundup: Former Vol David Skinns on top at Web.com Tour's Boise Open

Stephan Jaeger tied for 37th, Eric Axley has share of 76th after first round

David Skinns watches his opening tee shoot during the Sanderson Farms Championship last October in Jackson, Miss. The 36-year-old Englishman, who played at the University of Tennessee, led the Web.com Tour's Boise Open after shooting a 7-under 64 on Thursday.
David Skinns watches his opening tee shoot during the Sanderson Farms Championship last October in Jackson, Miss. The 36-year-old Englishman, who played at the University of Tennessee, led the Web.com Tour's Boise Open after shooting a 7-under 64 on Thursday.
photo David Skinns watches his opening tee shoot during the Sanderson Farms Championship last October in Jackson, Miss. The 36-year-old Englishman, who played at the University of Tennessee, led the Web.com Tour's Boise Open after shooting a 7-under 64 on Thursday.

BOISE, Idaho - David Skinns birdied the final hole for a 7-under-par 64 and the first-round lead Thursday at the Albertsons Boise Open, the third of four Web.con Tour Finals event.

Fighting for one of 25 PGA Tour cards available via the postseason series, the former University of Tennessee golfer had nine birdies and two bogeys at Hillcrest Country Club. The 36-year-old Englishman failed to earn any money in the first two events, withdrawing from the first and missing the cut in the second.

"I like everything about this course," Skinns said. "It looks a lot like England to be honest, looks a lot like the Parkland courses I grew up playing, which is hard to believe when you tell people that. Everyone thinks links golf over there. But it looks similar to what I was used to, and it just seems to shape well for me."

Last year in Boise, he was tied for ninth after two rounds when he withdrew to fly home for the birth of his second son.

"Last year was just good memories for me in general," Skinns said. "It was a shame that I didn't get to finish the tournament, but it was a great time in my life There was about two minutes where I sat on my bed contemplating, but it was no more than that. I was required, and I knew that, so it was a no-brainer in the end."

Skinns won the Pinnacle Bank Championship in July in Nebraska for his first Web.com Tour title.

Two-time PGA Tour event winner Sangmoon Bae was a stroke back, along with Fabian Gomez and Martin Trainer. Zac Blair, Justin Lower, Henrik Norlander and Scott Pinckney were tied for fourth at 66.

Chattanooga's Stephan Jaeger (69) was tied for 37th, and Athens, Tennessee, native Eric Axley (71) was tied for 76th.

The series features the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour's regular-season money list and Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup final regular-season standings. The top 25 finishers on the Web.com money list are competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players are fighting for 25 cards based on series earnings.

Ciganda, Torres share lead in France

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France - Aiming to stylishly cap a rookie season that Hurricane Maria almost denied her, Maria Torres shared the first-round lead at 6 under after the opening round of the year's final major tournament in women's golf.

Torres, the first Puerto Rican player to earn an LPGA Tour card, went birdie-birdie-eagle from the 13th to 15th holes in a 65 that had her atop the Evian Championship leaderboard with Spain's Carlota Ciganda.

"I just want to come here and play, and whatever happens, happens," Torres said.

Carefree laughs flowed from the 184th-ranked Torres, who last September was on her home island when the hurricane struck.

In the aftermath, the University of Florida graduate struggled to register for the second part of tour qualifying school. Finally, at Daytona Beach, Florida, in December, Torres won a three-way playoff to claim the last tour card on offer.

Nine months later, the 2016 Southeastern Conference player of the year is relishing her first competition in France.

"It's awesome to be here," Torres said. "I love it - I'm, like, almost rolling down the par-3s with all I've been eating here."

Torres matched a target set by the 21st-ranked Ciganda, who had six birdies and no bogeys on the 6,523-yard Evian Resort Golf Club course.

Both excelled on the par-5s. Torres played the four long holes in 5 under, including her eagle at No. 15, against three birdies for the 28-year-old Ciganda, who previously helped Arizona State win an NCAA title.

One shot back, Austin Ernst of the United States made an eagle at the par-5 13th in a 5-under 66 to stand alone in third place.

The three-player group at 67 included Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who won the qualifying school tournament; Brooke Henderson of Canada, winner of the 2016 PGA Championship; and two-time major winner So Yeon Ryu of South Korea.

Georgia Hall, a homegrown British Open champion last month, had a bogey-free 68 to stand in a big group at 3 under that included seven-time major winner Inbee Park of South Korea.

Top-ranked Sung Hyun Park had a tough day, shooting a 77 while playing in the same afternoon group as Hall. The South Korean player, who won the PGA Championship in July, dropped shots at four of the first five holes.

"Nothing went well," Park said through a translator. "It was a very disappointing day."

Anna Nordqvist of Sweden, trying to repeat as this tournament's winner, and fifth-ranked Lexi Thompson of the United States each shot a 71 among the early starters.

Forecast stormy rain held off just until the last groups completed play, including Rachel Heck, a 16-year-old American who shot a 70 in her second major.

"I was looking around thinking I can't believe I am actually here," said Heck, a native of Memphis who received a wild-card entry.

Wu leads KLM Open

SPIJK, Netherlands - China's Ashun Wu shot a bogey-free 64 to take the lead at 7-under after the opening round of the KLM Open.

Wu birdied four of the five par-three holes at The Dutch as he edged longtime clubhouse leader Chris Wood into second place. The English golfer started early in benign conditions and carded a 65.

A group of 13 players was tied for third place at 5 under.

European Ryder Cup vice-captains Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington each shot a 68.

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