SYLVANIA, Ohio—Paula Creamer knew she was playing well. She was surprised just how well.

Creamer birdied nine of the last 11 holes, including the final three, for a course-record 60 on the par-71 Highland Meadows layout Thursday. She held a five-stroke lead after the opening round of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.

Only after she finished did she realize how close she came to golf’s magic number of 59.

“I didn’t know it was a par 71,” Creamer said with a laugh. “I thought it was a par 72. If I would have known that, who knows?”

Creamer couldn’t have done much better. She would have had to hole out a 137-yard, 7-iron from the fairway to shoot 59. She rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt for her 60—her best round on tour by four strokes.

Only a handful of players have reached 59 in a competitive round on the PGA or LPGA tours.



Scottish Open

LUSS, Scotland—Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els failed to break par in the first round of the Scottish Open, while Alexander Noren and Thongchai Jaidee shared the lead with 7-under 64s.

Angel Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open champion, was third with a 65 in this tuneup before the British Open at Royal Birkdale, which begins July 17.

Mickelson and Els both returned from three-week layoffs. Mickelson had a 71 and Els was at 1-over 72.

Niclas Fasth, Garry Houston and John Bickerton were at 66.

Colin Montgomerie, the 1999 champion, shot 69 after bogeys on two of his final three holes.

Third-ranked Adam Scott, playing with a hand injury, had a triple bogey 7 on his first hole on the way to a 72.



John Deere Classic

SILVIS, Ill.—Kenny Perry continued his best run in more than two decades on the PGA Tour, firing a 6-under 65 in the first round of the John Deere Classic that put him one stroke off the lead.

The 47-year-old Perry is right behind Ken Duke and Charlie Wi in a tie for third after winning two events last month. Woody Austin was in a group at 5-under, with 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson five strokes behind.

Play was delayed briefly in the morning due to lightning in the area and again for 1 hour, 55 minutes in the afternoon. Perry was gone by then and, maybe, back in bed.

Unable to fall asleep after his hotel fire alarm went off at 3:30 a.m., a bleary-eyed Perry had enough energy to birdie his first three holes at TPC Deere Run. He started on the par-5 No. 10 and drove a sand wedge to 18 feet, then hit a 9-iron within 11 feet on the par-4 11th before driving a 5-iron to 10 feet on the par-3 12th.