Golf Roundup : Hartford Leader Levi Makes 5 Consecutive Birdies and a 64

Wayne Levi had five consecutive birdies on the back nine Thursday on his way to a seven-under-par 64 and a one-stroke lead in the first round of the $700,000 Greater Hartford Open golf tournament at Cromwell, Conn.

Levi didn’t have a bogey during his round over the 6,786-yard Tournament Players Club of Connecticut course. Denis Watson, Dan Forsman, Jim Thorpe and Bernhard Langer each shot a 65. Watson was nine under par after 14 holes but bogeyed the next three.

Gene Sauers was at 66. Tom Watson, winless in three years but second in last week’s U.S. Open, and Lee Trevino were at 67.

Medalist Bobby Lasken easily advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 76th California Amateur Championship by ousting two opponents in opening matches at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Lasken, of Whittier, a 21-year-old student at UCLA, had 13 straight pars to defeat Earl Morley of Rancho Mirage, 6 and 5, in the morning. He then was three under par in eliminating Tom Culligan of San Mateo, 9 and 7.

Lasken will meet 18-year-old Bob May of La Habra today.

Other quarterfinal matches pit John Childs of Alameda against Kevin Sutherland of Sacramento, Mark Merrigan of Alameda against Mike Springer of Dinuba and Perry Parker of Tustin against Dave Sheff of San Marino.

Deb Richard birdied four of the last five holes for a one-stroke lead over Nancy Ledbetter in the opening round of the $300,000 Rochester International at Pittsford, N.Y.

Richard, in her second year on the LPGA Tour, shot a six-under-par 66 at Locust Hill Country Club.

Betsy King, the leading money winner, played nine holes and withdrew with a sprained ankle.