GOLF ROUNDUP : Rodriguez (67) Doesn’t Wait Until Dark

Chi Chi Rodriguez, returning to the vicinity of his first professional triumph 30 years ago, had a four-under-par 67 Thursday and took the first-round lead in the weather-delayed U.S. Senior Open.

A big-name leaderboard saw Jack Nicklaus one shot behind at 68, with Lee Trevino, Bob Murphy, Jim Colbert and Larry Ziegler at 69.

In a group at 70 were Ray Floyd, Gary Player, Miller Barber, Isao Aoki, Dale Douglass, Tommy Aaron and Kermit Zarley.

Lightning at historic Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver caused a 1-hour 56-minute delay, and darkness prevented 21 players with late tee times from finishing. They were to conclude their rounds early today before the start of the second round.

Defending champion Larry Laoretti was among those still on the course when darkness cut short the round. The cigar-chomping Laoretti was one over through 17 holes.

Rodriguez took dead aim on the pins with his iron shots. He made six birdie putts, four from inside eight feet.

“I think I’m a better player now than any time in my life,” said Rodriguez, who won the 1963 Denver Open, which was played at nearby Denver Country Club.

Rodriguez gave credit to a seven-wood, which has replaced his two-iron, and a new putter.

“That putter is older than dirt,” Rodriguez said. “I got it at Sleepy Hollow about a month ago. I was looking for a new set of irons, and this putter was sticking out like a sore thumb in this barrel. It was begging me, ‘Chi Chi, take me out of here.’ The grip is terrible, but it’s legal. I hit a couple of putts on the putting green and loved it.

“I won the Tallahassee Open in 1979 with a putter just like it. I can aim it real good.”

Although scores were generally low for a USGA event, Nicklaus didn’t expect it to continue for four rounds.

“Cherry Hills has always stood up pretty well in the end,” he said. “If she ever lost out, we wouldn’t be back here. What’s the lowest score ever shot here--278 in the (1985) PGA? Mike Souchak was 135, I think, after two rounds in 1960 (in the U.S. Open won by Arnold Palmer). What won? 280.

“I think this course has always gotten tougher as the week goes on. You get some good first rounds, and everybody says, ‘They’re going to shoot up Cherry Hills,’ and nobody ever has. Somebody might break 280, I suppose.”

Trevino agreed.

“This is the U.S. Open,” he said. “Ten or 12 under doesn’t win the U.S. Open. This course is probably playing the easiest it’s going to play. I’d take seven under right now and sit here and drink beer with you guys the next three days.”

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Rookie John Flannery shook off an early double bogey and shot a five-under-par 66 for a share of the lead after the steamy first round of the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic at Williamsburg, Va.

Flannery, the 1992 Hogan Tour player of the year, birdied three of his last four holes at Kingsmill Golf Club to tie Jim Gallagher Jr. and Trevor Dodds.

Frank Conner, one of the afternoon players, finished his round with a member of the gallery carrying his bag after his caddie collapsed and had to be taken to the first-aid trailer for treatment.

Kingsmill resident Curtis Strange was joined at 67 by Lanny Wadkins, Keith Clearwater, Morris Hatalsky, Brandel Chamblee, Dave Rummels, Kirk Triplett and Richard Zokol.