Golf Roundup : Sills Shoots a 65 and Leads Zoeller by One at Atlanta

Tony Sills, who has undergone surgery five times in the last 11 years, birdied the first three holes Thursday en route to a seven-under-par 65 that gave him the first-round lead in the $500,000 Georgia-Pacific Atlanta golf tournament at Atlanta.

“I got off to a good start birdieing the first three holes, and that was the key,” said Sills, a former USC player and Southern California Amateur winner from Los Angeles who held a one-shot lead over former Masters and U.S. Open champion Fuzzy Zoeller.

Sills has never won a tour event, although earlier this year, he led at New Orleans after three rounds before falling to fourth place.

It took him six attempts before he qualified to play on the tour.

The 29-year-old Californian had his colon removed nine years ago and has had additional surgery since then. “I’m in really good health right now,” he said. “I had a lot of serious medical problems in the past.”

Alice Miller, closing in on the Ladies Professional Golf Assn. record for earnings in a year, shot a five-under-par 67 to take the lead after one round of the $250,000 Mayflower tournament at Indianapolis.

Miller, who had three of her five birdies on the back nine, held a one-stroke advantage over Beth Solomon and Laurie Rinker.

Miller, the tour’s only three-time winner this year, would claim the LPGA record for earnings in a season with the $37,500 top prize to be awarded at the end of this 72-hole tournament. She has collected $280,750 in 17 starts this year. JoAnne Carner set the mark with $310,399 in 1982.

Welshman Ian Woosnam battled his way to a five-under-par 66 and the first-round lead in the Irish Open at Dublin on a day so windy and rain-soaked that Sandy Lyle gave up in disgust.

The weather gradually worsened after Woosnam completed his round early in the day. Woosnam held a one-stroke lead over Englishman Richard Foreman and Ireland’s Des Smyth at 68.

Lyle, twice Europe’s top money winner, was 18 over par after 17 holes and had knocked his second shot out of bounds on the 18th when he decided to quit.

The weather even got to Lee Trevino, who shot a 78, including a seven on the final hole.

Defending champion Arnold Palmer, shot a five-under-par 67 for a one-shot lead over Don January after the first round of the $250,000 Senior Tournament Players Championship in the Cleveland surburb of Beachwood, Ohio.

Charles Owens was at 69, Jack Fleck at 70.