Popovic takes Australian PGA lead

Daniel Popovic shot an 8-under 64 Thursday to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Australian PGA Championship. Popovic, on his first year on the Australasian PGA Tour, birdied his first four holes at the Palmer Coolum Resort, and later had a string of five straight birdies. Fellow Australian Scott Strange shot 66 and was alone in second, followed by 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and two OneAsia Tour regulars - China's Zhang Xinjun and Singapore's Choo Tze-huang - with 67s. Veteran Peter Senior, who won last week's Australian Open, was in a group tied for sixth after a 68. Darren Clarke, the 2011 British Open champion, shot 70, including a 10-footer for par on 18.