Golf: Singh on song at Buick

Vijay Singh put himself into contention for a first victory of 2001 by claiming a share of the lead on day one of the Buick Challenge in Georgia.

Singh, who has more than £2million in the bank from his winnings this year, carded an eight-under-par 64 to go top of the leaderboard with Geoff Ogilvy.

Fourth on the United States money list, Singh has 13 top-10 finishes, including runner-ups at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and The Players Championship, but he has not finished first since capturing the Masters last year.

‘‘I’ve not won a golf tournament for so long, I don’t know what it feels like,’’ admitted Singh.

Joel Edwards, Sweden’s Per-Ulrik Johansson, Neal Lancaster, Mike Sposa and Danny Ellis are tied for third at seven-under at the Callaway Gardens Resort.

Former Masters champion Mark O’Meara and Argentinian rookie Jose Coceres, the winner at last week’s National Car Rental Classic, are at 66.

Leading first round scores (USA unless stated, par 72):

64 G Ogilvy (Aus), V Singh (Fij)

65 J Edwards, D Ellis, P-U Johansson (Swe), N Lancaster, M Sposa

66 J Coceres (Arg), M O’Meara

67 C DiMarco, D Duval, C Franco (Par), H Frazar, JL Lewis, J Maggert, S Micheel, J Riegger

68 T Armour III, P Azinger, B Baird, T Byrum, J Carter, J Cook, B Elder, S Flesch, R Freeman, M Goggin, JJ Henry, C Howell, J Kaye, J Leonard, D Love III, C Riley, L Roberts, E Toledo (Mex)

69 C Beckman, D Berganio Jr, S Cink, R Damron, G Day, D Frost (Rsa), B Geiberger, J Green, B Jobe, F Nobilo (Nzl)

70 S Appleby (Aus), JD Blake, B Burns, M Clark, S Dunlap, S Elkington (Aus), F Funk, J Furyk, S Garcia (Spa), B Gay, B Glasson, B Henninger, G Kraft, B McCallister, S McRoy, D Peoples, N Price (Zim), J Sluman, J Smith, D Sutherland, K Sutherland, T Tryba, B Tway, G Waite (Nzl)

Selected others:

72 G Hjertstedt (Swe)

73 E Els (Rsa), J Parnevik (Swe)