Luke Donald leads at Memorial

DUBLIN, Ohio, June 4 (UPI) -- Luke Donald recorded eight birdies in a nine-hole stretch Thursday, shooting a 64 for a three-shot lead after one round of the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

Donald, who finished sixth in this tournament a year ago, is seeking his third PGA Tour win and his first since the 2006 Honda Classic.

He chipped in for birdie from just off the green at the par-3 eighth hole at the Muirfield Village Golf Club course and then birdied every hole through the 13th. After making a par at the 14th, Donald birdied the 15th and 16th as well.

Jim Furyk, the 2002 Memorial champion, shot a 67 to share second place with Ted Purdy, Thomas Aiken and Jason Day.

Day was threatening Donald's lead late in the round before carding a bogey on each of his final two holes.

Tied for sixth at 68 were Stewart Cink, Mark Wilson and Steve Marino, who lost to Steve Stricker in a sudden-death playoff at last week's Colonial Invitational.

Tiger Woods, making his seventh appearance of the year after recovering from major knee surgery, shot a 69 and was tied for ninth. Woods, in his first start since the Players Championship, birdied three of the first six holes. He closed with a bogey after finding a fairway bunker with his tee shot.