Reuters/Oakville, Ontario


Emiliano Grillo, who began the week not knowing if he would even be able to get into the country, fired an eight-under 64 for a one-shot lead after the first round of the Canadian Open on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Argentinian went bogey free to lead Vaughn Taylor and Brian Harman after qualifying to play in this PGA Tour event as a result of his top-10 finish at last week’s Barbasol Championship in Alabama.
Americans Harman and Taylor carded matching seven-under 65s and they share second place at the Glen Abbey Golf Club.
Erik Compton, Steve Wheatcroft, South African Tyrone Van Aswegen and 17-year-old Australian Ryan Ruffels are one shot further back and tied for fourth following six-under 66s.
Grillo has never won in North America as he spends most of his time playing on the European Tour but he might consider a move in the future as has adapted quickly to the conditions on this side of the Atlantic. Once he learned he was eligible to play this week, Grillo’s first priority was to try and get a Canadian visa.  
After talking to a few people, he decided the best way to get one was to travel to the US-Canada border and apply in person. So he flew to Buffalo, New York, then drove to the border to take his chances.
“Yeah, it was a crazy week. The last eight, nine days has been crazy,” Grillo said. “They told me that I wasn’t able to get a visa in time, so I had to go to the Canadian border and ask for permission to play this tournament. I basically asked them and told them I don’t have a visa. ‘I’m here to ask you for a permit’.
“There is a kind of exception for athletes, but Canada has to gain something, and I have to gain something, so it kind of worked. Just pay the permit and go ahead. I’m here now and a good, solid round today.”
Grillo won the Argentine Open last year and lost in a playoff earlier this year at the Puerto Rico Open. He finished with eight birdies, including three on the four par-fives.
Taylor was also in the field after a top-10 result last week, and Harman had a stretch of four consecutive birdies and eight overall with one bogey in his round.  
In Taylor, Zach Johnson’s putting coach has another student hoping to find his way into the winner’s circle at a national golf championship. The American—an Augusta, Georgia, resident and who, like British Open champion Johnson, works with Pat O’Brien—fired eight birdies to go along with a bogey for an opening 65 at the Glen Abbey layout, finishing the day level with compatriot Harman.
Among the big names competing this week, American world number three Bubba Watson and compatriot Jim Furyk, a twice former Canadian Open champion who is ranked seventh, opened with 68s.
Australian Jason Day, ranked ninth, also carded a 68 that included an eagle from 95 yards at the par-four 10th, while South African Tim Clark, who clinched last year’s title at Royal Montreal by one shot, returned an even-par 72.
The 39-year-old Taylor is 10 years removed since he successfully defended his PGA Tour title at the Reno-Tahoe Open.
He had putting coach O’Brien meet him at the Barbasol Championship in Alabama last week to help fine-tune his putting stroke and that lesson resulted in a tie for 10th, only Taylor’s second top-10 of the season.
“He (O’Brien) is an awesome influence in my life and my game, and I appreciate him,” said the 2006 United States Ryder Cup member, who began working with O’Brien in 2000.
Taylor made headlines last summer when his fishing boat capsised due to rough conditions on Thurmond Lake near his Augusta home. He was not wearing a life jacket and had to swim to shore, where park rangers rescued him.
“I made a lot of mistakes that day, just being careless,” he said. “Every time I go out there, I try not make the same mistakes and realise how precious life is.”
Kirk carries hot start into share of Meijer lead
Former women’s British Open runner-up Katherine Kirk got off to an electrifying start to fire a seven-under 64 for a share of the lead after the first round of the Meijer Classic on Thursday.
The 33-year-old Aussie is tied with Americans Dori Carter and Lizette Salas as all three took advantage of the calmer conditions that greeted the morning starters to post low scores at the Blythefield Country Club course in the US state of Michigan. Jaye Marie Green and Taiwanese rookie Hsu Wei-Ling were tied behind the leaders at 65 after the first 18 holes of the $2 million LPGA Tour event.  
Salas gave her Solheim Cup hopes a timely boost as she charged into a share of the lead with a sparkling seven-under-par 64. The 26-year-old from California recorded an eagle at the par-five 11th along with five birdies in a bogey-free display.
Salas, whose only career win on the LPGA Tour came at last year’s Kingsmill Championship, was thrilled with her opening round as she continues her bid to represent the United States in September at her second Solheim Cup. “I stayed solid and made some putts over 20 feet which are really good confidence boosters,” Salas said after finishing birdie-birdie for a scorching back nine of five-under 30.