GOLF ROUNDUP : Devlin in Unaccustomed Position: Able to Look Back at Senior Pack

Bruce Devlin, who said he couldn’t remember the last time he led a golf tournament, shot a seven-under-par 64 Friday for the first-round lead of the $400,000 Royal Caribbean golf tournament at Key Biscayne, Fla., the first stop on the 1990 Senior PGA Tour.

In 1971, Devlin designed the Links in Key Biscayne, a public course where the tournament is being played.

“If I look back at the last couple of years, they’ve been pretty miserable,” said Devlin, whose best finish on the Senior Tour last year was a tie for sixth in the MONY Arizona Classic.

After a three-putt bogey six, Devlin birdied eight of the next 17 holes, including six of the last eight.

Arnold Palmer and Jim Dent shot 66s and are two strokes back. Dave Hill, George Archer and Tom Shaw are at 68. Grouped at 69 are Frank Beard, Phil Rodgers and Rocky Thompson.

A model of consistency in the first round of the Oldsmobile LPGA tournament, Pat Bradley was even better Friday when she shot a seven-under-par 65 in gusting winds to open a seven-shot lead halfway through the $300,000 tournament at Lake Worth, Fla.

The bogey-free performance left Bradley, the winner of 23 tour events, with a two-day total of 13-under-par 131 and the biggest advantage she can remember having after 36 holes.

“It’s wonderful to be leading, but this is only half the race,” said Bradley, who pulled away from first-day co-leader Nicky LeRoux by adding seven birdies to the bogey-free 66 she had in Thursday’s opening round. LeRoux faded to a 76.

Kim Bauer shot four-under-par 68 to trail Bradley by seven strokes with a two-day total of 138 on the 6,275-yard layout at Wycliffe Golf & Country Club. Jane Geddes shot 67, Dawn Coe had a 68 and Elaine Crosby shot 69 to finish the day at five-under-par 139.