Nicklaus bids farewell at Memorial; Sluman leads

DUBLIN, Ohio -- Jack Nicklaus pressed both hands to his lips for a farewell kiss to the crowd as he walked off the 18th green Friday afternoon at the Memorial.

Two groups behind him, Tiger Woods fired at as many flags as he could and moved quickly into contention.

An emotional day at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, ended with Jeff Sluman, whom Nicklaus picked as an assistant captain at the last Presidents Cup, atop the leaderboard thanks to a flop shot that dropped for birdie and a 1-under 71. That gave him a one-shot lead over Woods and four others heading into the weekend.

Woods was tied for the lead along the back nine until missing the 17th green and making his only bogey of the tournament, dropping him to a 68. He was joined by Jonathan Kaye, Harrison Frazar, Lucas Glover and Nick O'Hern, the Australian lefty who beat Woods in the second round at the Match Play Championship.

Still, the day belonged to Nicklaus.

He played what might be his final PGA Tour event on American soil, and wasn't too happy with how it ended. The cheers that echoed around the course he helped design were usually for par, sometimes for bogey, always just to see the 65-year-old Nicklaus approach the green.

Nicklaus shot a 5-over 77 to miss the cut by six shots.

Champions Tour

Mike Sullivan and Tom Jenkins played consistently through warm, windy conditions to shoot 6-under-par 65s for a one-stroke lead in the first round of the Allianz Championship in Polk City, Iowa.

Sullivan, a Champions Tour rookie who drives between tournaments in a 37-foot motorhome, had a bogey-free round and needed only one long shot for any of his six birdies -- a 25-foot chip just off the fringe on No. 8.

Ron Streck and Jim Ahern each were one stroke back at 66, which was the best round for Streck since he joined the senior circuit last year. Ahern was tied for the lead until he bogeyed No. 17.

Bruce Fleisher, who had a hole-in-one on No. 16, was among a group of four at 4-under. Fleisher used a 4-iron from 178 yards to get within 6 feet. The ball bounced once and dropped into the cup.

LPGA Tour

Playing through a driving rain, Juli Inkster shot a 6-under 65 to take the opening-round lead at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway Township, N.J.

The 44-year-old Inkster, who hasn't won on tour in two years, chipped in twice and posted six birdies and an eagle to surge past Annika Sorenstam, who was two shots back after an opening 67. Mi Hyun Kim was in third, at 2 under.

With temperatures in the low 60s, steady rain and wind up to 15 mph blowing in off the ocean, the greens of the Seaview Marriott Resort course were uncharacteristically fast.

Defending champion Cristie Kerr and 18-year-old rookie Paula Creamer, who finished second to Kerr last year, each shot 74. Coming off a victory two weeks ago at the Sybase Classic, Creamer struggled with her putter, missing at least six birdie opportunities.

Wales Open

Italy's Alessandro Tadini, who missed 10 of 15 cuts this year, shot a 7-under-par 62 for a two-shot lead over England's David Lynn at the Wales Open in Newport, Wales.

Tadini was at 11-under 127 after two rounds on the short Roman Road course at Celtic Manor. Lynn, playing later when the wind picked up, carded a 66 for 129 and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez was at 130 after a 67.

Colin Montgomerie shot a 75 that left him at 8-over 146, missing the cut for the first time this year.