Golf Roundup : Sauers Leads by 2 After First-Round Record 62

Gene Sauers shot a first-round tournament record of eight-under-par 62 for a two-stroke lead Thursday in the $600,000 Hardee’s golf tournament at Coal Valley, Ill.

Sauers, a 25-year-old Georgian who won the 1986 Boston tournament, had an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey on the 6,606-yard Oakwood Country Club course.

His 62 beat by one stroke the first-round mark set by Fuzzy Zoeller in 1976, when the tourney was called the Quad Cities Open. Five others matched Zoeller’s score.

Dan Forsman, Rick Fehr and Sam Randolph were tied for second at 64.

At 65 were Tom Purtzer, Ernie Gonzalez, Lance Ten Broeck, Mark Maness, Billy Brown, Mark Brooks, Mark Wiebe, John Snyder and Mike Bender.

A thunderstorm at dawn delayed the tournament’s start by an hour and was followed by temperatures and humidity in the 90s the rest of the day.

Colleen Walker shot a six-under-par 66 in gusting wind to take a one stroke-lead over Becky Pearson in the first round of the $300,000 LPGA Boston Five tournament at Danvers, Mass.

Sally Quinlan, who shared the lead before extreme heat, humidity and the wind caused by thunderstorms sent scores soaring in the afternoon, was at 69, tied with Heather Drew.

Joan Pitlock, Cindy Rarick, Sally Little, Caroline Gowan and Cathy Marino were at 70.

Jane Geddes, who won the tournament in 1986 and ‘87, shot a 71 and was tied with eight others, including Jan Stephenson and Kathy Whitworth.