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Golf Roundup : Langer on Time--and in Lead at Heritage Tournament

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From Times Wire Services

Bernhard Langer is one of the few touring golf pros who wear a wristwatch while playing.

There’s a reason for it: Langer, the winner of the Masters last week, was fined for violating the PGA Tour’s guidelines on slow play a month ago in the Tournament Players Championship.

Saturday, he put the watch to use on the first hole in the third round of the $400,000 Sea Pines Heritage tournament at Hilton Head Island, S.C.

One of his playing partners, Bobby Wadkins, drove into the woods and requested a ruling.

“It took a while for the official to get there,” Langer said. “I knew that would happen. Altogether, the delay cost 15 minutes.”

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So the West German was armed with some facts when he was warned for slow play as his group went off the 10th tee.

“We were exactly 15 minutes slow--the time it took for the ruling--in making the turn,” he said. “I don’t think it’s right that they should warn us. But we rushed every shot and caught up in three holes.”

The warning did not result in a penalty, and it didn’t hamper his golf. After playing the front in 38, Langer ripped the back nine--while officials timed his progress--in 31, including birdies on three of his last five holes, and took a one-shot lead going into today’s final round.

“One shot is nothing,” said Langer, who had a 69 for a 203 total through the first 54 holes on the Harbour Town Golf Links.

Wadkins wasn’t so sure.

“He’s playing awfully well right now,” Wadkins said. “It could be that he’ll go out and shoot the lights out, and nobody else will have a chance.”

Danny Edwards, who combines his PGA Tour activity with a concurrent career as an auto-racing driver, had a 68 that moved him into second place at 204.

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Larry Mize, who shot a 67, and Wadkins were next at 205. Wadkins, who had led or shared the lead through the first two rounds, battled back from a double-bogey to post a 72 in the sunny, breezy weather.

Larry Nelson, a former U.S. Open and PGA champion, was at 206 after a 70.

Patty Sheehan made three bird ies on the final eight holes Saturday to open a five-stroke lead after three rounds of the $200,000 J&B; Scotch Pro-Amateur at Las Vegas.

Sheehan, who led by three strokes after 36 holes, shot a one-under-par 71 at the Desert Inn Country Club for a 54-hole score of 203.

A challenging Alice Miller, who could win a $1-million bonus with a victory here (to go with her recent Dinah Shore title), ended the round in second place after a 73 for a 208.

Miller committed a mental error when she picked up her ball from the fairway of the 18th hole, which cost her a stroke.

Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Beth Solomon, and Vicki Fergon, were tied for third at 210. Lopez and Bradley shot 72s Friday, while Solomon and Fergon had 71s.

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