Smith takes two-stroke lead

Memphis: Chris Smith used strong putting and creativity in shooting a six-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the St Jude Classic on Thursday. Smith, whose lone US golf tour victory was the 2002 Buick Classic, needed only 24 putts in a six-birdie, bogey-free round that easily was his best this year. "I got done, and John Cook said someone else was playing under my name. I'm not sure what happened," Smith said. DA Points shot a 66. Paul Azinger and Tom Pernice were among only four golfers teeing off in the afternoon to crack the top of the leaderboard with 67s. Azinger said winds gusting to 35 kph made the usually scoring-friendly TPC at Southwind a tough course. "The pins were hard, the winds were blowing. It's obviously hard. It played hard," he said. Nick Price, a two-time champion with five Top 10s at the TPC at Southwind, shot a 68 and was tied with seven others including Fred Funk and Mark Calcavecchia. Defending champion Justin Leonard shot a 72. (AP)