Leaderboard at Doral Lacks Usual Glamour

Bob Burns bogeyed the 18th hole Thursday but still shot a five-under-par 67 to emerge in a four-way tie for the first-round lead of the star-depleted Doral-Ryder Open.

Also at 67 was Scott Dunlap, the sixth alternate Monday before players started dropping out. Many of golf’s big names played in the $5-million match-play event at La Costa last week and opted not to play Doral.

Franklin Langham birdied the last two holes for his 67, and the foursome was completed by Tommy Armour III, who last won in 1990 but is coming off a playoff loss in Tucson last week.

“I’m going to shoot the same no matter who’s here,” said Burns, last year’s Nike Tour player of the year.

Mark Calcavecchia and Fred Funk were in a group at 68 that included Geoffrey Sisk and Doug Barron.

The group at 71 included Ernie Els, Bernhard Langer, John Huston and three-time Doral champion Greg Norman, playing his first 72-hole tour event since undergoing shoulder surgery in April.

Golf Notes

Raymond Floyd caught a thief at Doral, but it didn’t take much detective work. Police say Doral employee Walter Robinson stole a bag filled with Orlimar Tri-Metal clubs worth about $15,000 on Wednesday, then tried to sell them for $5 each to Floyd. “He had no idea who I was,” Floyd said.