Golf Roundup : Five Players Tie for Greensboro Open Lead With 69s

Don Shirey Jr., an 11-year professional who twice had to re-qualify for the PGA Tour, shot a three-under-par 69 to tie Tom Sieckmann, David Ogrin, Bill Glasson and Jim Booros for the first-round lead Thursday in the $1-million Greater Greensboro Open golf tournament at Greensboro, N.C.

Booros, the last to finish, preserved his share of the lead when a 20-foot chip from off the ninth green, his final hole, hit the flagstick to set up a par-saving putt.

“Thank God it hit the stick,” Booros said. “Otherwise it would have rolled eight feet away.”

Ten golfers came in at 70, with 14 more at 71 and another 16 at even-par 72.

Defending champion Sandy Lyle shot a three-over-par 39 on the front nine and finished with a 76.

Greg Norman struggled to a 73, and Lanny Wadkins shot a 74.

Al Geiberger holed a three-iron from 218 yards for a double-eagle 2 to help the United States take a 10-6 lead over the International team in the Chrysler Cup seniors event at Sarasota, Fla.

Geiberger and Gene Littler beat Bruce Devlin and Harold Henning, 3 and 1, in a team best-ball match to earn four points for the United States.

In other opening-day matches on the Tournament Players Club course at Prestancia, Orville Moody and Dave Hill of the United States beat Bob Charles and Peter Thomson, 2 and 1, and Bruce Crampton and Roberto De Vicenzo of the International team beat Walt Zembriski and Chi Chi Rodriguez, 2 and 1.

Arnold Palmer and Miller Barber of the United States halved their match with Gary Player and Doug Dalziel, meaning that each side earned two points.

Geiberger’s spectacular shot came on the par-5 15th hole and it went into the cup on one hop.

“It was actually a bit unnerving,” he said. “It’s almost a helpless feeling because it happens so infrequently. You start wondering, ‘What do I do next?’ ”

The format today switches to individual match play. Sixteen points will again be at stake.

Lori Garbacz tied the course record with an eight-under-par 64 for a one-stroke lead in the first round of the USX women’s tournament at Gulfport, Fla.

Garbacz, a 10-year veteran who won her first LPGA tournament five weeks ago at Tucson, had nine birdies and a bogey on the 6,013-yard Pasadena Yacht & Country Club course to equal the record set by Judy Dickinson in 1985.

Lori West was second with a 65. Kathy Postlewait was tied for third at 67 with Jill Briles, Terry-Jo Myers and Betsy King.

Greg Bruckner of Manhattan Beach and Steve Bowman of Tyler, Tex., each shot a four-under-par 68 and shared a one-stroke first-round lead over four players in the $455,000 Dunlop Open at Ibaraki, Japan.