Woods opens Dubai defense with a 68

Tiger Woods opened his title defense in the Dubai Desert Classic with a 4-under 68 on Thursday, leaving him three strokes behind leaders Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell.

Woods flew halfway around the world after winning the Buick Invitational on Sunday in San Diego for his seventh straight victory on the PGA Tour. The Dubai tournament is a PGA European Tour event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Ernie Els, Jose Manuel Lara and Jyoti Randhawa shot 66s on the Emirates Golf Club course, and Simon Dyson, Thongchai Jaidee, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Phillip Price opened with 67s.

PGA Tour

Dudley Hart shot a 7-under 64 for a one-stroke advantage atop a crowded leaderboard after the chilly opening round of the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Twelve players were within two shots of the lead on a TPC Scottsdale course softened by a day of rain Wednesday.

Paul Azinger, David Toms, Tom Pernice Jr., John Rollins, Aaron Baddeley and Brian Gay opened with 65s, and Billy Mayfair, Bart Bryant, Daniel Chopra, Bubba Watson, Jeff Quinney and Robert Garrigus shot 66s.

Two-time champion Phil Mickelson, who considers this a home tournament because he played at Arizona State and used to live in Scottsdale, shot a 72.

Women's Australian Open

Sarah Kemp shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over fellow Australians Karrie Webb and Nikki Campbell in the Women's Australian Open in Sydney, Australia.

-- The Associated Press