Golf Roundup : Massengale Leads Seniors by 2 Shots With 66 at Tampa

Don Massengale shot a six-under-par 66 Friday to take a two-stroke lead in the first round of the $300,000 Suncoast golf tournament at Tampa, Fla.

Dave Hill, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Bob Charles and Doug Sanders were tied for second at 68, while Bruce Crampton, George Lanning, Quinton Gray, Arnold Palmer and Al Geiberger were at 70.

Massengale, 51, a third-year PGA Seniors Tour player from Conroe, Tex., had six birdies and no bogeys. He shot a 32 on the back nine.

Sanders could have been alone in second place, but on the 18th hole he put his tee shot in a bunker and missed a 15-foot putt for par.

Massengale, recovering from minor neck surgery during the off-season, finished 19th in last week’s PGA Seniors Championship.

“Some guys can take time off and come out here and play well, but I’m not one of them,” Massengale said. “It always takes me longer. I have to work a lot harder to get back in shape.”

English amateur champion Russell Claydon fired a four-under-par 69 to earn a share of the halfway lead with Australians Peter Fowler and Craig Parry at 135 in the Australian Masters championship at Melbourne.

Fowler had a 67, while Parry shot a 68. Two shots back were New Zealander Greg Waite, who had a 71, and Australian Greg Norman, who had his second 69 over the Huntingdale course.

Jack Nicklaus had a second-round 72 and was at 142.

After a second round marked by gusty winds, Alice Ritzman and Sara Ann McGetrick were tied for the lead at 138 in the $300,000 Hawaiian Ladies Open at Honolulu.

Ritzman and McGetrick each shot a 69 and shared a one-stroke lead going into today’s final round of the 54-hole tournament.