Golf Roundup : A ‘Lucky’ 70 Gives Lopez Lead by One in Open

Nancy Lopez overcame three bogeys with five birdies Friday, recording a two-under-par 70 to take the second-round lead in the U.S. Women’s Open at Springfield, N.J.

Janet Coles and Vicki Alvarez are one stroke behind Lopez, who has a 140 total.

“Overall, I was lucky,” said Lopez, who has never won a U.S. Open in nine years on the professional tour. “You always need one of those lucky days. I think I have been fortunate and have had my fair share of good luck.”

Perhaps her luckiest moment came on the par-3 No. 7. She hit a 3-iron into a bunker and then pitched out and hit the stick. The ball went in for a birdie.

Lopez followed with a bogey and made the turn in one-under-par 35. Her front nine included birdies on Nos. 1 and 4, and a bogey on No. 3. On the back nine, she had birdies on the 12th and 16th holes but bogeyed No. 14 for her second two-under-par round.

Coles and Alvarez shot the best rounds of the tournament Friday with 69s.

Coles birdied three of the last four holes on the back nine, and Alvarez birdied three of the final five holes to share second place.

Kathy Baker, who was tied for the first-round lead, had a 72 for a 142.

Sally Little picked up two strokes with a 70 for a 143 total. Janet Anderson, who also shared the lead after one round, birdied Nos. 17 and 18 en route to a total of 143.

Hollis Stacy, the defending champion, had a quadruple-bogey 8 on No. 2 and shot her second 78 for a 156, missing the cut of 151.

Lon Hinkle, who opened with a seven-under-par 64, came back with a 68 for a one-stroke lead over Keith Fergus halfway through the $500,000 Anheuser-Busch tournament at Williamsburg, Va.

“Overall it was not quite as good a day as yesterday,” said Hinkle, “but I’m certainly satisfied with a 10-under-par (132) after two days.”

Fergus shot a rain-interrupted 64, including five birdies in his first nine holes on the 6,746-yard, par-71 Kingsmill Golf Club course.

“It’s just one of those days,” said Fergus, who is 42nd on this year’s money list. “I didn’t make a putt over six feet. I just hit it close all the time.”

Five players were tied for third at 134--Don Pooley, Roger Maltbie, Wayne Grady, Paul Azinger and Danny Edwards.