Golf Roundup : Hatalsky Gets Share of Lead With His Putting

Morris Hatalsky one-putted 12 times Thursday as he scrambled to a 6-under-par 66 and a share of the first-round lead in the $900,000 Western Open tournament at the Butler National Golf Club in Oak Brook, Ill.

Hatalsky, who won the Kemper Open earlier this month, shared the top spot with Mark Hayes and Brian Mogg.

“I’m real pleased, at least with my short game, but I’m going to have to hit the ball a lot better than that if I’m going to stay around the lead,” said Hatalsky, who missed four of the last five greens but saved par on all five.

Hatalsky, who used only 24 putts, started play from the 10th tee and birdied two of his first three holes. He sank a 30-footer on the 16th. He also made putts of 15 feet on the first and 7 feet on both the second and fourth for birdies.

Hayes said: “I just had everything under control. I putted well, hit my irons well, drove in the fairway, and it added up to 66.”

Hayes missed only two greens. He made his big move with a burst of four birdies in five holes, beginning on the 10th.

Mogg, who lost his playing rights for lack of performance after the 1986 season, had a career-best eight birdies, including three on the last four holes.

A last-hole bogey cost Tom Sieckmann a share of the lead and left him at 67.

Sherri Turner took advantage of comfortable playing conditions to post a bogey-free, four-under-par 68 for a one-shot lead in the opening round of the LPGA du Maurier tournament at Coquitlam, Canada.

Turner made four birdies on the front nine, including a 21-footer on the eighth hole, then parred the last nine holes on the 6,361-yard Vancouver Golf Club course in British Columbia.

Mei-Chi Cheng of Taiwan, Sherri Steinhauer, Alice Ritzman, Laura Davies of England, Robin Walton and Lori West were tied for second place at 69.

Mark McNulty of Zimbabwe shot a 7-under-par 62 for a two-day total of 128 and a one-stroke lead in the $374,000 Monte Carlo Open.

Jose Rivero of Spain had a 64 for a 129, and his countryman, Seve Ballesteros, fired a 66 for a 131.