GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) Tiger Woods, playing in his first tournament since his chance for a Grand Slam ended, shot a season-best 9-under 63 Friday to take the lead in the Buick Open.

Woods, who has won 15 of 19 tournaments he has led or shared the lead after 36 holes, had five birdies on the front nine and two birdies and an eagle on the back. He has gone 51 holes without a bogey, dating to the British Open. The last major, the PGA Championship, is next week at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

Woods had a 14-under 130 total for a four-stroke lead over U.S. Ryder Cup teammate Scott Verplank (65) and J.J. Henry (67).

First-round leader Kent Jones was five strokes back along with Pat Bates, Rod Pampling, Glen Day, Esteban Toledo and Carlos Franco. There are eight players at 8 under, including Jim Furyk and PGA winner David Toms.

Women's British Open

TURNBERRY, Scotland (AP) Australia's Karrie Webb made two eagles to improve her chances for a third Women's British Open title, while Swedish star Annika Sorenstam missed the cut.

Webb shot a 1-under 71 to move within a stroke of Sweden's Carin Koch and Taiwan's Candie Kung. Koch shot her second straight 68 to join Kung, the first-round rounder, at 8 under.

Americans Beth Bauer (67) and Tina Barrett (70) and Spain's Paula Marti (68) matched Webb at 7 under.

Sorenstam followed an opening 73 with a 77, finishing at 6-over 150 to miss the cut for the first time in 75 LPGA Tour vents. U.S. Open champion Juli Inkster also missed the cut, shooting a 78 for a 9-over 153 total.

3M Championship

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) James Mason shot a course-record 8-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead over Hale Irwin after the first round of the 3M Championship.

Mason, playing with course designer Arnold Palmer, birdied seven of the last 12 holes to break the mark of 66 set last year by three players in the first event on the TPC of the Twin Cities.

The round also was the lowest of Mason's senior career, topping the 65 he shot in May in the opening round of his breakthrough victory in the NFL Golf Classic.

Irwin, coming off a playoff loss to Hubert Green last week in the Long Island Classic, had a bogey-free 66. Green was another stroke back at 67, and Fuzzy Zoeller, Allen Doyle, Sammy Rachels, Rocky Thompson and Leonard Thompson followed at 68.

The 72-year-old Palmer, who teamed with former University of Minnesota player Tom Lehman to design the course, shot a 78.

Wales Open

NEWPORT, Wales (AP) Scotland's Paul Lawrie birdied four of the first 11 holes to reach 9 under before rain forced the suspension of the second round of the Wales Open.

Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion, faced a 6-foot birdie putt on the 12th when play was stopped.

Australia's Richard Green, who shared the first-round lead with James Kingston of South Africa, was 8 under through five holes. Kingston did not start his second round.

Great Lakes Classic

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) Pat Bradley and Barb Moxness shot 4-under 68s to share the first-round lead in the Women's Senior Golf Tour's Great Lakes Classic.

Bradley, who won 31 tournaments in her Hall of Fame career on the LPGA Tour, had four birdies in a bogey-free round on the Green Bay Country Club course.

Patty Sheehan, Jan Stephenson and Marilyn Lovander opened with 69s, and Barb Scherbak, Sue Ertl and Chris Johnson shot 70s. Defending champion Hollis Stacy was in a group at 71.

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