Villegas vaults to Buick Invitational lead

Camilo Villegas of Colombia carded a nine-under par 63 Thursday to seize the first-round lead in the 5.3 million-dollar Buick Invitational.

Villegas, whose two US victories last year included the Tour Championship, was three shots in front of veteran Davis Love and Australian Aaron Baddeley, who both shot 66.

Aussie Stuart Appleby, Jeff Overton and Robert Garrigus were five shots off the lead on four-under 68.

A logjam of nine players, including Australians Mathew Goggin and Jason Day, were on 69.

Three-time champion Phil Mickelson was in a group on two-under 70, tied with 16 other players.

Reigning British Open and PGA champion Padraig Harrington was three-under through the turn, but his inward run included a double-bogey and bogey before a birdie at 18 saw him finish on 71.

The Irishman is playing in his first tournament of the season after having two non-malignant melanomas removed from near his right eye.

Torrey Pines was the site of last year's epic US Open victory for Tiger Woods, who won a 19-hole playoff over Rocco Mediate despite playing with a torn ligament and stress fractures in his left leg.

Woods has yet to return to competition since, while Mediate withdrew from this event on Monday.

The absence of Woods gives the tournament a decidedly different look. The superstar has won the Buick Invitational six times, including the last four.