Jones Shoots 69 Again, Leads by One in LPGA

Rosie Jones shot her second 69 and held a one-stroke lead over Marta Figueras-Dotti, who equaled the course record of 65 Friday, after two rounds of the $225,000 LPGA Boston Five tournament at Danvers, Mass.

“I really played pretty consistent golf the last two days,” said Jones, who had a six-under-par 138. “I only had two or three bogeys. I’m just putting well.”

Figueras-Dotti, who was five-under par on the back nine of the par-72, 6,008-yard Tara Ferncroft course, has been anything but consistent.

“I was a little frustrated yesterday (Thursday) with a 74 because I hit the ball too well for a 74. I couldn’t get the speed of the greens . . . I did work on it last night.”

The Spaniard, who played at USC, tied the tournament and course record set last year by defending champion Laurie Rinker, added, “I haven’t shot in the 60s in a while. It feels good.”

She nearly broke the record with an eagle on the 479-yard 18th hole, but her 9-iron shot stopped three inches from the cup.

Jones and Figueras-Dotti both are seeking their first tour victories.

So is first-day leader Laura Baugh. She shot a 67 Thursday but had a 10-stroke turn around Friday with a 77 that left her at even par 144.

Figueras-Dotti’s 139 was one stroke better than Rinker and Jane Geddes. Rinker shot a 69 Friday and Geddes had her second 70.

There were two more holes in one. Sandra Palmer duplicated Baugh’s ace on the 158-yard No. 16, and Judy Clark found the range on the 150-yard 12th hole.

Bob Tway, who had never been in sole possession of first place in a PGA Tour event, shot a three-under-par 67 to take the lead after two rounds of the $300,000 Quad Cities Open at Coal City, Ill.

Tway, who received his PGA card this year, completed the second round at nine-under 131, one shot ahead of Brent Upper and two-time champion Scott Hoch.

Jay Delsing was at 133, while John Mahaffey, Dave Eichelberger and Steve Jones were in fourth at 134.

Jones and Tway shared the first-round lead with 64s on the 6,514-yard Oakwood Country Club course.

Tway, 26, a former Oklahoma State All-American carded five birdies and two bogeys Friday.

Hoch, who won the tournament last year and in 1980, sank seven birdies for a 65 Friday while Upper collected eight birdies for a 64.

Jack Nicklaus II, following his father’s failure to make the cut at the British Open Friday, missed the cut in his PGA Tour debut competing as an amateur.

Upper had a chance to tie the course record. At the 18th hole, Upper needed a birdie to reach an 8-under 62. However, he bogeyed the par-4 hole.

Gene Littler holed a 125-yard pitch for an eagle on the 18th hole to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the MONY Syracuse Seniors tournament at Lafayette, N.Y.

Littler’s finish gave him a 67 for the day, one stroke better than defending champion Miller Barber and Jim Ferree, who had 68s on the Lafayette Country Club course.

Seven players were tied for fourth at one-under 70, including Peter Thomson, the senior golf circuit’s leading money winner.

Before Littler’s eagle Friday, he had recorded birdies on the 3rd, 8th and 10th holes.