European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday june 13, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 29 . Snead shoots 65, nabs Lead by the associated press Dearborn Mich. A . Snead out dulled playing partner Tommy Aaron on his Way to a course record 65 and a one shot Lead thursday in the opening round of the senior players championship. Snead and Aaron blistered the front nine at the Par-72 pc of Michigan course. Both shot 5-under 31, Matching birdies on nos. 6, 7 and 8. They cooled off on the Back nine but continued to Battle As Bob Charles and Jim Ferree applied pressure. Aaron finished at 66, equating the course record set last year by Don Bies and Jim Albus the 1991 senior players Champion. Charles who birdied five straight holes in the Middle of his round Ferree and Kermit Zarley were at 67. Jim Colbert Rives Mcbee Dale Douglas and Butch Baird were at 69, while four players including Albus and Lee Trevino finished at 70. Golf Tours Parsons 63 leads in Memphis Memphis Tenn. A Peter persons who missed the Cut in his last two tournaments had eight birdies in a round of 63 thursday for a one stroke Lead Over Gil Morgan and Dan Forsman in the opening round of the $1.1 million Federal express St. Jude classic. Persons birdied four holes on each Side of the 7,006-Yard, Par-71 tournament players course at South wind. Swede Frenchman Lead in Austria Salzburg Austria a swede per Ulrik Johansson and Frances Jean Van de Velde shared the Lead in the $630,000 Mitsubishi austrian open on Friday after incessant rain affected the second round. Johansson posted a 4-under-Par 68 to go to 10-under-Par 134, but he was out shot by Van de Velde who carded 66 to join him at the top Birdi eing three of the last four holes and picking up five strokes Over the closing seven. They led Peter Mitchell by two strokes after the englishman had moved to 136 with a 62, which would have equalled the course record except that preferred lies were in operation because of Sodden fairways due to Day Long rain. Scot Ross Drummond after a 69 and Dane Ole Eskildsen with a 68, share 4th on 137. Chi Chi Rodriguez blasts from a Sand trap during first round of senior players championship thursday. Nicklaus Watson paired Pebble Beach Calif. Up a Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson winners of the two previous . Opens played at the Pebble Beach Golf links will be paired together for the first two rounds next week when the open returns to the Monterey Peninsula. Nicklaus won the 1972 open at Pebble Beach and when the tournament was played there 10 years ago Watson a historic Chip in at the 71st Hole deprived Nicklaus of a record fifth title. They will begin their first round thursday at 1 50 . Put with three time open Champion Hale Irwin making up the third member of the group. Leading Money Winner Davis love Iii will play in the company of Rocco mediate and Steve Pate beginning at 9 40 . While masters Champ will be in a threesome with Tom Kite and Spain a Jose Maria Olazabal with a 1 10 . Starting time. Nick Faldo Sivc Ballesteros and Mark Calcavecchia will be paired together at 12 50 . Ami the threesome of pea Champ John Daly Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Lunger will play at 1 30 . Three time Mcaa Champion and former . Amateur Champ Phil Miekelson making his debut As a professional will be paired with Gary Hallburg and Russ Cochran and will Start play at 8 30 .bulls-blazers scoring with to viewers by Jan Hubbard new Day Portland Ore. A David Stern was a very Content Man thursday. The finals Are a thrilling time for the Aba commissioner whose marketing Genius has led the league into a period of unprecedented Prosperity. Stern always argues however that he has a winning product to sell. And the numbers indicate that the 1992 finals Are Selling big time. A do you realize a Stern said a that if the finals ended today they would be the fifth highest rated finals in history a its even More mind boggling when put this Way through four games the 1992 finals Are the highest rated of any not involving magic Johnson As a player. The top four All featured the los Angeles lakers a the 1987 Boston series the 1991 Chicago series and the 1988 and 1989 series with Detroit. Stern heard the suggestions that the Public  be interested in a series involving a Market As Small As Portland but so far that Hasni to been the Case. And it  be that surprising. The series has taken on a life of its own developing some classic elements a like intrigue and some animosity among players and coaches. There is another featured matchup of players a Michael Jordan is. Clyde Drexler the two Best shooting guards in the world. Each team has been in the finals before. The bulls Are trying to become Only the fourth team in history to repeat. And now the series is tied at 2, which Means it will be the longest running series since the game 6 on an seb1 . Monday get on to and radio �?T87 lakers celtics series in which the lakers won in six. The last three Aba finals have not lasted More than five games. The remaining games figure to be the most intensely played of an intense series. It was evident thursday that the blazers were irritated by suggestions from the bulls that they should have swept the series. The bulls lost a 10-Point Lead in the last five minutes of game 2 despite the absence of Drexler who had fouled out with 4 36 remaining. The blazers won in overtime. And in game 4, the bulls led the entire game until they faded in the fourth Quarter when the blazers played their Best defense of the series. A we really Are upset a said Scottie Pippen. A a we be lost two games that should have been under our belts. We be been Able to dominate this series and still we be lost two  Bull coach Phil Jackson and several other players repeated those sentiments which upset Portland coach Rick Adelman. A i done to have any comment on that a said Adelman who apparently has a very Loose interpretation of a no  a a that a their opinion a he commented. A i done to get into anybody making statements like that. But like i said before its a 48-minute game. If they want to be 4-0 and dance on someone a grave and celebrate then they should have done their Job in those two games and they  have to worry about it. But the fact is you win and lose a lot of games for a lot of reasons. The series is tied 2-2. If that a what they want to say that a Fine. That a their  Danny Ainge also reacted to suggestions that the series has not been Well played. There is a tendency to romanticize the past particularly when big names Are involved. Fans probably remember the 1984 lakers celtics series As a classic Between magic and Larry Bird. But it was not artistic. The lakers opened the series by upsetting the celtics in Boston. They led late in game 2, Only to go into overtime when James worthy a errant pass was stolen by Gerald Henderson. The celtics won to tie the series 1-1. The lakers won game 3 by 33 Points but then lost a five Point Lead in the last minute in regulation of game 4. The game went into overtime but magic missed two free throws and worthy missed one in the last 35 seconds of of and the celtics won. There was a lot of talk then that the lakers should have swept the series. But Boston went on to win in seven games. A i think there Are a lot of similarities a said Ainge the blazers guard who played for the celtics in that series. �?o1 think we All have a tendency to focus on what a happening now. But As i look Back there Arentt a lot of differences. I remember losing leads and teams blowing opportunities and throwing games away and Sloppy play. 1 think its part of the  it is apparent that at least so far the matchup has captured the interest of the Public. This series has higher ratings than the 84 celtics lakers finals