ZIMBABWE'S NICK Price issued a warning to his rivals after recovering from a first-hole bogey to tie the Americans Paul Azinger and Russ Cochran for the lead after the opening round at the FedEx St. Jude Classic on Thursday.

Price hooked his tee shot into the water at the first hole, but that was his only blemish as he compiled a six-under-par 65 in steamy conditions at the Southwind TPC. The highlight of his round was an eagle at the par- five 16th, where he hit a three-wood to three feet.

Price, Azinger and Cochran were one stroke ahead of Donnie Hammond, Scott Hoch, Mark Carnevale and the 19-year-old amateur David Gossett, who matched Justin Rose for the lowest round by an amateur on the PGA Tour this year.

Azinger's score owed more credit to accurate approach shots than to a hot putter. He made five birdies and an eagle, but only sank two putts from outside five feet.

Gossett, meanwhile, revealed his rich talent with five birdies in the first nine holes on his home course. He got to six under with a birdie at the 16th, before making his only bogey of the day at the 17th, where he sank an eight-footer to avoid dropping two strokes.

The American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year, he has just graduated from nearby Germantown High School and has accepted a golf scholarship at the University of Texas.

He nearly qualified for the past two US Opens, missing by one stroke each time in sectional qualifying.

The England internationals Brett Taylor and Ben Mason both crashed out of the English Amateur Championship to leave the semi-finals a seed-free zone at Woodhall Spa yesterday.

Taylor, from the Thorpe Hall club in Essex, was never ahead in his match against Simon Peter Gorry, an 18-year-old Middlesex county player from Sudbury.

Gorry was two up at the turn and then went three up with a birdie at the par-five 14th and that was sufficient to see him to a three and two success.

In the first of the semi-finals Gorry will meet Neil Ridewood from Orsett in Essex, who finished his match in style by holing a tricky birdie putt at the 17th for a two and one win over Newcastle's David Errington.

Mason, from Sand Moor in Leeds, was bundled out five and four by Manchester's Roger Smithies, who was two up after eight holes and then took the next three in succession as well.

The last semi-final place was booked by Bristol's Mark Sanders, who overcame former England junior star Chris Roake from Gerrards Cross three and two.