Golf Roundup : Debbie Massey’s 67 Leads LPGA Championship by One Shot

Debbie Massey shot a five-under-par 67 to take a one-stroke lead over four players in the first round of the LPGA Championship Thursday at the Jack Nicklaus Sports Center in Mason, Ohio.

Amy Alcott, seeking her second major title of the year, and non-winners Lisa Walters, Sherrin Smyers and Nina Foust were the closest to Massey, a two-time winner in her 12 years on the tour.

Massey bogeyed the first hole of the 6,389-yard Grizzly Course but had six birdies after that to hold off Alcott, winner of the Dinah Shore tournament earlier this year. Alcott’s round of 68 was highlighted by two chip-in birdies.

Walters, a Canadian who played college golf at Florida State, had 12 one-putt greens.

Foust’s round included an eagle on the par-5, 435-yard 15th hole.

Smyers, the field’s first alternate, who didn’t know until Sunday that she would be playing in the tournament, shot her best round ever in four LPGA Championships.

Sally Quinlan was two shots off the pace, while Amy Benz, Muffin Spencer-Devlin and Sherri Turner had 70s.

Lanny Wadkins broke par at the Colonial Country Club for the first time in 35 rounds, shooting a three-under-par 67 that left him tied with Clarence Rose, Scott Hoch, John Inman and Jodie Mudd in the opening round of the $750,000 Colonial National Invitation at Fort Worth.

One shot behind were Mark Calcavecchia, Buddy Gardner and Ed Fiori, and Lee Trevino and Ben Crenshaw were among those at 69.