Pavin Leads by Five, but He Plays It Cautiously

Corey Pavin remained cautious even though he tightened his control on the Colonial National Invitation tournament.

But Pavin, who has led or shared the lead all the way, shot a two-under-par 68 in occasional light rain Saturday to build a five-stroke lead heading into today’s final round at Fort Worth, Tex.

“I’m certainly pleased with my position now,” Pavin said. “It was a good, solid round, which is what I wanted, but a five-shot lead is not insurmountable. I’ll have to work hard tomorrow. I really have to go out and concentrate real hard not have any mental lapses.

“Five shots is not comfortable because Colonial can come up and bite you.”

Pavin, who had a four-shot lead after 36 holes, bogeyed only the fifth hole, but managed birdies on the first, sixth and 17th in his consistent round.

“I’d missed so many short ones, it was a relief when that last one went in,” said Pavin, out of UCLA.

Pavin, who set a record when he played the first two rounds in 130, matched the tournament record for three rounds at 198, the lowest 54-hole total on the tour this year.

Bill Glasson, with braces on both his oft-damaged knees, shot a 64 that lifted him into a tie for second at 203 with Scott Hoch (66) and 42-year-old Bob Murphy (65), whose last victory came 15 years ago. Hoch had a 66. Mike Donald was next at 204 with a 68.

Joey Sindelar’s 62 set a course record and tied him with Hal Sutton (67) and Chip Beck (68) at 205. Tom Watson struggled to a 73 and was 15 shots back at 213. Lee Trevino had a 68 for 207.

Nancy Lopez, seeking her first victory of the season and 30th of her career, shot a four-under-par 69 to grab a two-stroke lead over Laura Baugh after two rounds of a $175,000 LPGA tournament at Chatham Township, N.J.

Lopez, who also shot a 69 on her opening round, had a two-round total of 138.

The 28-year-old Lopez did not get going until the back nine, sinking birdies at the 11th, 14th and 15th holes to take the lead. She capped the round with another birdie on the final hole.

Baugh, who has never won but has finished second nine times in her career, had a second 70 for 140.

Judy Clark, also seeking her first career victory, had a 72 and was alone in third place at 142. Another stroke back at 143 was first-round leader Rosie Jones, who struggled home with a 77 after shooting a course-record 66 Friday.

Arnold Palmer, Orville Moody and Don January survived shaky starts and heavy winds to shoot one-under-par 69s to share the lead after the first round of the rain-delayed United Hospitals Seniors tournament at Malvern, Pa.

In winds that gusted to 30 m.p.h., Miller Barber, Ken Still and Bill Collins were one shot back.

Palmer, who is looking for his first 1985 seniors victory, survived a double-bogey on the 164-yard, par-3 fifth hole when he missed the green, made two bad chips and missed a short putt. He recovered with birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes.

Moody bogeyed the sixth, ninth and 10th holes, but rallied with birdies on the last three holes with good iron shots and putts of 6, 3 and 16 feet.

January bogeyed the eighth and ninth holes, but played the back nine in 32.