Golf Roundup : Maltbie, Chen Each Shoot a 68 to Share Lead

Roger Maltbie birdied three of his first five holes on the back nine and tied T.C. Chen for a share of the first-round lead at 4-under-par 68 Thursday in the $600,000 Greater Greensboro Open at Greensboro, N.C.

Maltbie started the windy day with a birdie and finished the front side in par. On the back nine, Maltbie made a 40-foot putt for a birdie at No. 11, then added short putts for birdies on Nos. 13 and 14.

Maltbie and Chen are two strokes ahead of seven golfers tied for third at 70.

Gary Player and Bob Charles, aided by a rules violation by Dale Douglass on the 17th hole, rallied to tie Douglass and Gene Littler and give the International team a 10-6 lead over the U.S. squad in the seniors’ match-play Chrysler Cup at Sarasota, Fla.

The winner of each of the four match-play team contests received four points, with two points going to both teams for the one tie.

In that one, the U.S. team was leading by two with two holes remaining when Douglass made a four-foot putt apparently to end the match. But he realized he had mismarked his ball and informed officials. The hole was awarded to the International team, and Charles birdied the 18th hole to tie the match.

In another match, Arnold Palmer and Chi Chi Rodriguez topped Peter Butler of England and Christy O’Connor of Ireland, 5 and 4.