Duval grabs one-stroke lead

AUGUSTA, APRIL 8. David Duval made four birdies and an eagle in the last seven holes to grab a one-stroke lead over American Phil Mickelson, Fiji's Vijay Singh and South Africa's Ernie Els midway into the 64th Masters golf.

Duval, winless in the past year after having been ranked the world's best golfer, fired his best round in a major, a seven- under par 65, here yesterday to stand at six-under par 138 after 36 holes at Augusta National Golf Club.

After nine pars in a row, Duval birdied the par-3 12th from 12 feet, eagled the par-5 15th after sticking a 5-iron 10 feet away, tapped-in a birdie at the 17th and birdied the 18th from 12 feet.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Els and 1998 PGA championship winner Singh each birdied the 18th to fire a 67 and stay on Duval's heels.

Els was three-under-par on the front nine but found Rae's creek for a bogey on the par-5 13th. He recovered with birdies on the 15th, 16th and 18th holes.

Singh had his best round by two shots in seven Augusta trips. He was four-under on the front nine and recovered from a bogey at the par-5 13th with birdies at the par-5 15th and the finishing hole.

Mickelson birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th holes to briefly match Duval for the lead, but a bogey at the par-3 16th and missing a four-foot birdie putt at the 18th left him sharing second.

Sharing fifth at 141 were 1996 British Open champion Tom Lehman and 1996 U.S. Open winner Steve Jones. Another shot back were two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer of Germany, Spain's Sergio Garcia, South Africa's Retief Goosen, Loren Roberts and 1988 PGA championship winner Jeff Sluman.

Lehman squandered the first-round lead with a double bogey at the 18th and, after leading by four at one stage yesterday, blew it again with a double bogey at the 15th. Garcia sprinted down the 16th fairway to mark a ball he feared might roll away from the cup, bringing back memories of his fairway run at last year's PGA championship.

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