Geddes, Sheehan Set Open Record

Jane Geddes and Patty Sheehan had the best first-round scores in U.S. Women’s Open history to share the lead in the $500,000 event at Duluth, Ga., with six-under-par 66s on a rainy Thursday.

The two held a two-shot lead over Nancy Lopez, who doesn’t include this nation’s national title among her 42 career victories.

Play on the 6,298-yard Riverside Course of the Atlanta Athletic Club was suspended twice by rain and lightning, the last time at 7:40 p.m. EDT. Thirty golfers were on the course when play was suspended.

The USGA said the second round was to begin as scheduled this morning, with the 30 players picking up where they left off at 1 1/2 hours later to complete the opening round.

Geddes, the 1986 Open champion, finished her bogey-free round late in the day after a 65-minute delay because of a thunderstorm.

Sheehan, a three-time winner and the leading money-winner on the LPGA Tour this year, had eight birdies and two bogeys, finishing before the midafternoon delay.

The previous best first round was a 67 by Liselotte Neumann in 1988 and matched by defending champion Betsy King last year.

“This golf course lends itself to making more birdies than I’ve ever seen at the U.S. Open,” Sheehan said.

“I really did not expect the course to be that scoreable,” Geddes said.

Mike Smith, back on the PGA Tour after playing in Europe for two years, shot a six-under-par 65 for a two-stroke lead after the opening round of a $900,000 tournament at Sutton, Mass.

Smith, who regained his card with a 47th-place finish in the PGA qualifying school last fall, had nine birdies, three bogeys and six pars in what he called “the best round I’ve ever had in the rain.”

Scott Verplank and Bill Glasson were tied for second at 67.

Starting on the 10th tee, Smith began with a bogey, but picked up confidence with a 15-foot putt for a par on his second hole.

Then, after sitting out a late-morning rain delay of 1 hour and 37 minutes, he completed the back nine in 33, two under par. He birdied four of the first five holes on the front nine, which he finished in 32.

Gordon Brand Jr. of Scotland shot a 67, giving him a two-round total of 132 in the $600,000 Scottish Open at Gleneagles, but he has only a two-stroke lead because Ian Woosnam of Wales shot a nine-under-par 62.

Woosnam, Europe’s leading money-winner this season, sank eagle putts of 40 yards on the sixth hole and 25 feet on the 18th and had six birdies for a 36-hole score of 134.

Nick Faldo of England birdied the last two holes to finish with a 73 and 145 for two rounds, maintaining his record of not missing the cut in a European tournament since the 1986 German Open.