PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: THE FIRST ROUND : Golf’s Winless Wadkins Escapes Rough Enough for a 68 and Lead

Bobby Wadkins, the winless half of the golfing family from Virginia, escaped PGA National’s dreaded rough often enough Thursday to shoot a four-under-par 68 in the first round of the PGA Championship.

“The fairways were perfect, the rough unplayable and the greens so-so,” Wadkins said after his 34-34 round. “I only missed two fairways all day and made two bogeys.”

This is Wadkins’ 13th year on the PGA Tour, and although he has earned $1.1 million, he has yet to win a Tour event.

The big surprise of the hot, muggy day was a 69 by Fred Funk, the University of Maryland coach and an assistant pro at the school’s course, who was playing in his first PGA.

“I felt scared before I teed off because I played so poorly in practice,” Funk said. “But no matter what happens, I’ll be a better player coming out of it.”

Also at 69 was David Edwards, the 1984 Los Angeles Open winner.

Lanny, the more noted of the Wadkins brothers, shot a 70 to open his bid for a second PGA crown. It put him in a group of six, including two other former winners, Larry Nelson and Raymond Floyd.

Tom Watson, who needs a PGA victory to round out a grand slam of major championships, also had a 70, as did Curtis Strange, winner of last week’s St. Jude tournament in Memphis, and former Masters champion Bernhard Langer of West Germany.

Favorites Greg Norman, wearing a Crocodile Dundee hat, and Seve Ballesteros, stayed close. Norman had a 73, Ballesteros a 72.

It was no coincidence that of the 15 players who bettered par 72 on the 7,002-yard Champion course, 12 played in the morning, before the almost barren greens became spike-marked.

“The greens were very bumpy and crusty,” said Floyd, a late starter. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow, when I have the advantage (of an early start).”

The rough, three inches deep when the day started and longer by day’s end, proved too much for nearly everyone, even the low scorers. Some comments:

Floyd--”It’s penal. All you can do is take your wedge and get out.”

Bobby Wadkins--”Brutal, absolutely brutal.”

Lanny Wadkins--”If your ball is heading for the rough, you pray it will find a bunker.”

Nelson--”If you miss the fairway, it’s almost an automatic bogey.”

Watson--”Hit it in the rough and you’re dead.”

Some of the scores reflected the combination of the rough, the barren greens and the heat.

Paul Azinger, this year’s leading money winner on the PGA Tour, had an 82. United States Open champion Scott Simpson and defending PGA champion Bob Tway had 78s.

Ian Woosnam, the Welshman who is the leading money-winner on the European tour this season, had an 86.

Of the 40 club professionals in the tournament, 20 failed to break 80. Funk, with his 69, and Ray Freeman of Greensboro, N.C., were the only ones to break par. Freeman shot a 71.

High for the day was Jim Petralia, an assistant pro at the Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena. The former California Open champion shot a 42-49--91.

Mark Calcavecchia, the Honda tournament winner who grew up playing PGA National, shot a 79 and said, “This isn’t the same course I’ve played the last 10 or 12 years. The PGA changed its character with that deep rough.”

Lee Trevino, who won the PGA in similar weather and high rough conditions three years ago at Shoal Creek, Ala., withdrew because of a pulled muscle under his rib cage.