Golf Roundup : Newlywed Beck Leads in Western

Chip Beck, delaying his honeymoon, shot a seven-under-par 65 Thursday for the lead in the $1-million Western Open golf tournament at Oak Brook, Ill.

Beck, who was married last Saturday to Karen Thompson, had nines of 34-31 over the 7,097-yard Butler National course to take a one-stroke edge over Payne Stewart and Blaine McCallister.

“I guess when you’re happy, everything looks good,� said Beck, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour who has been blanked this year. He did, however, finish in a tie for second place in the U. S. Open, one stroke behind winner Curtis Strange.

Beck had an eagle, eight birdies and three bogeys and came within one stroke of tying the Butler record of 64 set by Bob Gilder in the first round of the 1982 Western Open.

Beck had two birdie putts of 30 feet and another of 15 feet. His eagle-three came on the 478-yard No. 12, where he hit a one-iron to the green and made a 60-foot putt.

Another stroke back at 67 were Paul Azinger and Mark O’Meara.

Greg Norman and former Western champions Hale Irwin and Mark McCumber were among those with 68s. This group also included Leonard Thompson, Tommy Armour III, Roger Maltbie, Mike Donald, Bobby Clampett, Larry Mize and Lance Ten Broeck.

Betsy King continued the hot shooting that has made her the top player on the women’s tour with a five-under-par 67 to take the first-round lead in the $600,000 LPGA du Maurier tournament at Montreal.

King, 33, the year’s leading money winner with $365,986 and four victories, has a one-stroke margin over Tammie Green, who was five under par at one point on the front nine but lost a stroke by three-putting the 18th.

Nine golfers shot 69s, including three-time champion Pat Bradley, 1983 champion Hollis Stacey and Patty Sheehan.

Casey Boyns of Pacific Grove will be making his second straight trip to the final of the California Golf Assn.’s State Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach, but this time it will be in a different role.

A year ago, Boyns was serving in his professional capacity as a caddy when he helped Santa Barbara’s Don Parsons win the title. Today, in the 78th renewal, he will be playing David Stockton of Mentone in the 36-hole title match.

Boyns, 33, reached the final by beating Sacramento’s David Sutherland, 5 and 4, in the quarterfinals and Jack Spradlin Jr. of San Diego, 1 up, in the semifinals Thursday.

Stockton, 20, son of professional Dave Stockton, ousted Pat Duncan of Rancho Santa Fe, 4-3, in the morning and Tom Kennaday of Pacific Grove in the afternoon, 4 and 2.