GOLF ROUNDUP : Bush, Murray Steal Show; Hart Leads at Pebble

Former President Bush and comedian Bill Murray each went into the gallery on the first hole they played Thursday in the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.

Bush did it by accident, hitting his second shot into the huge crowd lining the fairway. A spectator was clipped but unhurt by a glancing blow.

Murray took a trip outside the ropes on his own on the first tee at Spyglass Hill, when he went into the gallery, fell over a seated woman spectator and knocked her to the ground and then shoved her husband to the ground, too.

Eventually, back on the tee, Murray hit his drive far to the right, danced and pranced down the fairway and went on to make an eight on the par-five hole.

Murray and Bush played at Spyglass Hill, the most difficult of the three Monterey Peninsula courses used for this event.

That’s also where Arnold Palmer played as a member of the Bush foursome. The 64-year-old Palmer shot a 69 and was within four strokes of the lead.

In the individual pro competition, Dudley Hart, playing at Poppy Hills, took the lead with an eagle on the final hole for a seven-under-par 65.

Jerry Pate birdied the last hole at Poppy Hills to complete a six-under-par 66 and tie Jay Delsing for second. Delsing played at Pebble Beach.

*

Fred Couples fired a six-under-par 66 in the opening round and took a two-stroke lead in the Johnnie Walker Classic at Phuket, Thailand.

Closest to the American were Bernhard Langer of Germany and Ian Woosnam of Wales.

Greg Norman, battling a lung infection, shot a 75.