June 10, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1427

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HARRISON (New York), June 9: Australian Adam Scott scored from long range to post a six-under-par 65 and grab a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Barclays Classic at soggy Westchester Country Club on Thursday.

The 25-year-old Scott holed out from 99 yards for an eagle at the seventh hole, chipped in for birdie from 20 yards on the 12th and sank two 25-foot putts to birdie the 17th and 18th and push past Briton David Howell and American Billy Andrade.

Howell carded eight birdies and three bogeys in a lively round of five-under 66, while Andrade played bogey-free, missing a six-footer at the 18th for a share of the lead.

Alone in fourth place at 67 was Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson, who took advantage of soft conditions with four quick birdies on the front nine of the Westchester course, which was drenched by rain on Wednesday.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson shot a 70.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington, however, was not able to take advantage. The Irishman had two double bogeys on his way to a three-over 74.

Leading first round scores:

65 – Adam Scott (Australia).

66 – David Howell (Britain), Billy Andrade (US).

67 – Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden).

68 – Rocco Mediate (US), Arron Oberholser (US), Tom Lehman (US), Joey Sindelar (US), David Toms (US), Daisuke Maruyama (Japan).

69 – Brandt Jobe (US), Paul Azinger (US), Michael Allen (US), Doug Barron (US), Steve Jones (US), Nathan Green (Australia), Jeff Sluman (US), Geoff Ogilvy (Australia), Mike Weir (Canada), Kent Jones (US), Hunter Mahan (US).

70 – Bernhard Langer (Germany), Kevin Sutherland (US), J.P. Hayes (US), Vijay Singh (Fiji), Brad Faxon (US), Phil Tataurangi (New Zealand), John Holmes (US), Dean Wilson (US), Graeme McDowell (Britain), Tom Pernice Jr (US), Jay Delsing (US), Phil Mickelson (US), Chris DiMarco (US), Sean O'Hair (US), Frank Lickliter II (US), Tim Clark (South Africa), John Cook (US), Jeff Gove (US), Jimmy Walker (US).

BRIER DELIGHTS HOME GALLERY

VIENNA: Austrian Markus Brier delighted his many friends in a sizeable gallery in his home open on Thursday by first holing in one at Fontana club and then birdying the last to take a one-stroke lead.

Brier's Austrian Open first-round six-under-par 65 took him a shot in front of German Sven Struver, Jorge Benedetti of Colombia and Britons Simon Dyson and Oliver Whiteley.

To set him on course for a maiden European Tour victory and a remarkable hat trick in the event, the 37-year-old from nearby Vienna aced the 158-yard 11th with a seven-iron, winning himself a $20,000-dollar car in the process.

He celebrated his second hole in one on the tour by immediately adding a birdie and took the lead by getting up and down from a bunker at the last from seven feet.

Earlier, Colin Montgomerie rubber-stamped his return to form by firing his fifth successive score in the 60s, following up his four rounds that earned him fourth place in the Wales Open with a 67 to be two shots off the lead.

Leading first round scores:

65 – Markus Brier (Austria)

66 – Jorge Benedetti (Colombia), Simon Dyson (Britain), Sven Struever (Germany), Oliver Whiteley (Britain).

67 – Benn Barham (Britain), Gregory Bourdy (France), Alastair Forsyth (Britain), Ian Garbutt (Britain), David Higgins (Ireland), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain), Colin Montgomerie (Britain).

68 – Martin Erlandsson (Sweden), Soren Hansen (Denmark), Steven Jeppesen (Sweden), Jean-Francois Lucquin (France), Gary Murphy (Ireland), Steven O'Hara (Britain), Alexandre Rocha (Brazil).—Reuters