Golf Roundup : Couples, Strange Remain Tied for Lead

Fred Couples and Curtis Strange each shot a two-under-par 70 Saturday to remain tied for the lead after three rounds of the $500,000 Honda tournament at Coral Springs, Fla.

Couples and Strange began the day tied at 13-under-par 131 and, despite six lead changes, they came out of it deadlocked at 15-under 201, four shots ahead of Don Pooley.

The key to the round came on the 16th hole when Strange drove into the left rough behind a television camera crane. He had to wait while the crane was moved, then hit a 9-iron into the water and had to sink a 12-foot putt for a bogey 5.

But Strange didn’t blame the delay for the bad shot. “I wasn’t ready to hit the shot anyway,” he said. “It just drifted to the right on me.” He threw his club down in disgust after the shot.

Pooley shot another 70 as tough pin placements, faster greens and a change of direction in the caused problems. In the first two rounds, more than half the field broke par.

Couples dropped two shots back with bogeys on the par-5 10th and the par-4 12th, but then got a stroke back with a birdie on 13. Then Strange found the water on the 16th to even things up again.

Strange almost dropped another stroke on the par-3, 171-yard 16th hole when he hit a 4-iron over the green into a trap and then exploded 20 feet past the hole. But he sank an eight-foot putt for par.

Patty Sheehan shot a one-under par 71 to move into a tie with Betsy King for the lead after three rounds in the $150,000 Turquoise tournament at Phoenix. King, who shot a 72, and Sheehan lead a group of three by two strokes.