GOLF ROUNDUP : Frost Shoots 62, Leads by Two

David Frost shot an eight-under-par 62 and held a two-stroke lead in the first round of the Hardee’s Golf Classic Thursday at Coal Valley, Ill.

Because of a two-hour rain delay, play had to be suspended with 24 golfers in a field of 156 still on the course. Those players will complete their rounds today, with the second round being played as scheduled.

Frost, who won the Buick Classic in June, birdied three of his first five holes and finished with eight birdies and one bogey in coming within a stroke of the course record.

“I could have putted with my foot today,” Frost said after what he called his best round of the year.

Tom Lehman, Willie Wood and Bart Bryant were tied for second at 64.

The group of eight at 65 included Bryant’s older brother, Brad, and defending champion D.A. Weibring.

The rainfall left the greens soft and many players reported them choppy in the afternoon, but that didn’t stop several late-afternoon golfers from posting lofty scores.

The crowd favorite was John Daly, who finished at 69. Hundreds of fans ignored rainy conditions to follow the 1991 PGA champion.

Frost missed some short putts, but he wasn’t complaining even after the rain delay disrupted his round.

“You don’t often have a round like that,” Frost said. “You’ve got to enjoy it.”

Said Paul Azinger, who played with Frost and was also in the group at 65: “He was pretty impressive. We fed off each other. He could have shot in the 50s. He hit it so close. He could have used a broom handle and shot the same score.”

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Dottie Mochrie shot a three-under-par 69 to take a one-stroke lead in the first round of the $450,000 Safeco Classic at Kent, Wash.

Her round over the 6,222-yard Meridian Valley Country Club course gave her the advantage over Nanci Bowen, Tina Barrett, Mitzi Edge and Barb Mucha.

Mochrie, 27 and in her fifth year on the LPGA Tour, has a lock on the player of the year and earnings titles and leads in the Vare Trophy standings for the lowest scoring average.

Mochrie went into the Safeco Classic with a 70.83-stroke average. Meg Mallon, second at 71.05, was forced to withdraw because of a hip problem.

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Jose-Maria Olazabal of Spain shot a five-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the $893,000 Lancome Trophy Invitational at Saint-Nom-La-Breteche, France.

Tied at 66 were Ian Woosnam of Wales, Eduardo Romero and Vicente Fernandez of Argentina, Jose Manuel Carriles of Spain and Barry Lane of England.

Nick Faldo, golf’s hottest player, shot a 70 and was in a group that included Bernhard Langer.

Faldo has won three consecutive European Tour events, including the British Open.