Golf Roundup : Amy Alcott’s 65 Is a World-Beater

Amy Alcott birdied seven of 10 holes during one stretch and shot a seven-under-par 65 Thursday to take the first-round lead in the $200,000 Nestle World Championship of Women’s Golf at Buford, Ga.

Alcott, coming off a two-week layoff and having played only once in the last month, built a three-stroke lead on the hilly 6,007-yard Pine Isle Resort Golf Course on Lake Lanier Islands, 50 miles north of Atlanta.

Patty Sheehan, winner of two events this year, was second with a 68 and Judy Clark, at 35 the oldest player in the elite field of 12, shot a 69.

Defending champion Nancy Lopez, a four-time winner in her last nine tournaments, had four birdies in succession early in the round but wound up in a tie at 70 with Beth Daniel, winner of the first two World Championship events in 1980 and 1981.

Alice Miller, a four-time winner this year who withdrew from last week’s Henredon tournament because of heat exhaustion, had the poorest round of the day, a 75.

Rookie Rick Fehr, taking advantage of rain-softened greens, shot a seven-under-par 65 for a one-stroke lead over Paul Azinger in the first round of the Buick Open at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich.

It is only the seventh PGA Tour event of the year for Fehr, 23, a former Brigham Young University star. However, a tie for ninth place in the U.S. Open, which was held about 30 miles away at Oakland Hills, has helped Fehr earn $31,569 so far in 1985.

Fehr, of Seattle, started his round on the 10th hole and played the back side in three-under-par 33 with birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes. Fehr added four more birdies on the front nine for a 32. He didn’t make a bogey during the round.

Five players--Bill Kratzert, Scott Hoch, Greg Twiggs, Gil Morgan and Charlie Bolling-- were tied for third at 67.

Brad Greer of Huntington Beach shot a three-under-par 69 for a 54-hole total of 208 and a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the $46,600 California State Open at Ventura.

John McComish of Santa Maria and Mike Blackburn of Orange Park, Fla., were tied for second entering today’s final round of the tournament at the 6,603-yard, par-72 Olivas Park golf course.

McComish had a 67, Blackburn a 69.

Britain’s Mark James dropped a 45-foot putt on the final hole for an eagle-3, giving him a four-under-par 68 and a one-stroke lead over Ireland’s Des Smyth after the opening round of the $210,000 Benson & Hedges tournament at York, England.

British Open champion Sandy Lyle and defending champion Sam Torrance were among the group at 70.