Golf Roundup : Hallberg, 2 Others Tied at 68

Gary Hallberg, bolstered by “Mom’s home cooking,” shot a four-under-par 68 Thursday that gave him a share of the first-round lead in the $500,000 Western Open golf tournament at Oak Brook, Ill.

Hallberg, who lives in nearby Barrington, did not make a bogey on the difficult Butler National Golf Club course.

“I took the week off last week. Just wanted to get back for some of Mom’s good home cooking,” Hallberg said.

He also took advantage of the time to put in six practice rounds “and map the course, set a strategy on how to play each hole.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever done that. I stuck to my plan. And it paid off.”

Hallberg, slowed by a bout of mononucleosis earlier this season, was tied for the lead with Bob Gilder and Loren Roberts.

Gilder, like Hallberg a non-winner since 1983, also played without a bogey. Roberts, who hasn’t finished higher than third in five years of PGA Tour activity, got his share of the lead with a 4-iron shot that set up an 18-inch birdie putt on his final hole.

One shot off the pace were Calvin Peete; Hale Irwin; the unrelated Simpsons, Tim and Scott; Dick Mast; Tom Purtzer, and Bobby Wadkins, who opened his round by holing out a 147-yard 8-iron shot for an eagle-2 on his first hole.

Greg Norman, making his first start since winning the British Open, shot a 71. Ben Crenshaw, a winner last week in the Buick Open, matched par 72. Scott Verplank, who won this title as an amateur last season and now is a pro, shot a 74.

Bob Tway, a three-time winner this year and second to Norman on the money-winning list, had a 76.

Sue Fogleman, playing in the final group of the day, shot a four-under-par 68 at Denver to move into a three-way tie for the first-round lead in the $300,000 LPGA National Pro-Am.

Fogleman, who has never won on the LPGA Tour, matched the scores of Judy Dickinson and Debbie Massey.

The leaders were one stroke ahead of Becky Pearson and Sherrin Smyers.

At 70 were Sally Little, Amy Benz, Chris Johnson, Penny Hammel, Heather Farr, Lynn Adams, Anne-Marie Palli and Cindy Rarick.

Defending champion Pat Bradley, the Tour’s leading money winner, had a 71. Amy Alcott, Patty Sheehan and Hollis Stacy were at 72.

The tournament format calls for the pros to be paired with an amateur partner the first three days. Play was to alternate at Lone Tree and Glenmoor country clubs the first two days, then shift to Lone Tree for the final two days. The pros will play alone Sunday.