GOLF ROUNDUP : Two Pairs of Legends Lead at 61

The team of Bobby Nichols and J.C. Snead shot an 11-under-par 61 to share the first-round lead with Chi Chi Rodriguez and Dave Hill in the Legends of Golf team competition Thursday at Austin, Tex.

Three teams were at 10-under in the two-man, better-ball tournament over the 6,777-yard Barton Creek Country Club course.

Hill gave nearly all the credit to Rodriguez.

“My partner just played up a storm. He made one mis-hit all day long, and that was at 18. I hit it out in the trees all day long except for 18,” Hill said.

Defending champion Lee Trevino and Mike Hill were among the groups tied at 62. “I’d rather be ahead, but we’ll take it,” Trevino said.

Also at 10 under were Jim Colbert-Tommy Aaron and Butch Baird-Gay Brewer. Bruce Devlin and Don Bies were alone at 63--and that after taking a double-bogey six on the 420-yard 16th hole.

“I said to him on the 17th tee that if we birdied the last two, that 63 with a double wouldn’t be too bad,” Devlin said. “It wasn’t.”

In the Legendary Champions division for players over 60, Charlie Owens and Billy Maxwell teamed for a seven-under 65. Despite having lost the vision in his left eye, which he said severely hampers his short game, Owens contributed five birdies.

Davis Love III and Fred Couples, golf’s hottest players, couldn’t quite keep up in the first round of the Greater Greensboro (N.C.) Open.

Grabbing shares of the lead at five-under-par 67 were Phil Blackmar, Brian Claar, Jeff Maggert, Robert Gamez, Kenny Perry and Bill Britton.

Love, winner last week of the Heritage, struggled to a 71. Couples, playing for the first time since winning the Masters two weeks ago, shot a 70.

Paul Azinger finished with bogeys at 17 and 18 and joined defending champion Mark Brooks and four others at 68.