Jack Nicklaus always envisioned the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, as a northern version of the Masters, from the superb course conditions to super slick greens, from caddies wearing white coveralls to grounds so immaculate that nary a cigarette butt is to be found.

He got his wish yesterday, at least with the greens.

Mathew Goggin spent as little time on them as possible, taking only nine putts over his final nine holes on his way to a 7-under 65 and a one-shot lead over Jerry Kelly and two-time Memorial champion Kenny Perry.

Goggin holed out a bunker shot for birdie on the par-3 fourth, then ended his round with a 12-footer for par from off the green, giving him only 22 putts for his round.

"Is that possible?" Goggin said when told he had nine putts on his back nine.

Strangely enough, he was 3 under playing his best golf, then hit some loose shots that produced four birdies over the final six holes.

"It was one of those bizarre days where I didn't drop any shots coming in with the poorly played holes," he said.

Perry found the right speed and ran off six consecutive birdies on his way to a 66, also taking 22 putts. Kelly birdied four of his final six holes. Ten other players also managed to break 70 on a day when the average score was 73.7.

Phil Mickelson, coming off a victory at the Colonial, had a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 9 that went 12 feet by and onto the fringe, leading to a final bogey and an even-par 72.

• Ginn Tribute: Annika Sorenstam's name is everywhere at the Ginn Tribute except where she wanted it most -- near the top of the leader board after the opening round in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Sorenstam's even-par 72 left her seven shots behind co-leaders Karrie Webb and In-Kyung Kim, and tied for 60th. Sophie Gustafson was third at 66 and Cristie Kerr led a group of seven another stroke back at 67.

• Wales Open: Australian Scott Strange made five consecutive birdies and shot an 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Italian Edoardo Molinari in the first round at Newport. Strange began his round at the 11th, and his birdie run from the 14th gave him a nine-hole score of 7-under 28.

• Ladies German Open: Michelle Wie shot a 4-under 68 in the first round in Munich to share seventh place four strokes behind leader Nina Reis of Sweden. Reis had eight birdies for a bogey-free round of 64.