Golf Roundup : Sutton Shoots 65 to Lead by a Stroke in New Orleans

Hal Sutton saved par on his final hole, giving him a seven-under-par 65 and a one-stroke lead Thursday in the first round of the USF&G; golf tournament at New Orleans.

“It was a real solid round, and it could have been lower,” said Sutton, who twice missed birdie putts of 5 feet or less.

“I missed those two short ones, but I made a couple of long ones, so I guess it evens out.”

Sutton, who hasn’t won for almost two years, hooked into the trees on the ninth hole.

“I didn’t have much of a shot at all,” he said. In trying to hook a 5-iron around the trees, he caught a greenside bunker. Sutton got it up and down from the sand, making a five-foot putt to stay one shot in front of Tom Byrum.

Byrum, who has yet to win in three years on the PGA Tour, used some long-range putting and a fast finish for his best round of the year, a 66.

He was at even par through 10 holes, then birdied six of the last eight. Two of the birdies came on putts of 20 and 25 feet from off the green.

Lanny Wadkins, a winner in Hawaii earlier this year, birdied three of his last four holes for a 67 and was tied with Tommy Nakajima of Japan, Dan Halldorson of Canada, Jodie Mudd, John Inman and Mike Blackburn.

Heather Drew, winless in five years on the LPGA circuit, shot a career-low, six-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead in the first round of a $225,000 tournament at Pasadena Yacht and Country Club in the St. Petersburg, Fla., suburb of Gulfport.

Tina Tombs-Purtzer, Martha Nause and Rosie Jones had 67s over the 6,013-yard course. Kathy Ahearn, Donna White, Vicki Fergon and Kathy Postlewait were at 68.

Arnold Palmer birdied the 18th hole from 30 feet, leading the United States to a sweep of four team best-ball matches and a 16-0 lead on the opening day of the $600,000 Chrysler Cup championship for seniors at Sarasota, Fla.

Palmer’s chip shot from behind the green allowed him and Chi Chi Rodriguez to defeat Gary Player and Bob Charles of the International team, 1 up, on the par-72, 6,763-yard TPC Prestancia course.

Billy Casper and Al Geiberger beat Roberto De Vicenzo and Bruce Devlin, 1 up; Orville Moody and Miller Barber downed Bruce Crampton and Harold Henning, 2 and 1, and Gene Littler and Dale Douglass beat Christy O’Connor and Peter Thomson, 2 and 1.