Golf Roundup : Watson Fires 68 but Falls Back Into a Tie with Peete and Haas

If Tom Watson and Calvin Peete would get together, they could figure exactly how to play the perfect round on the TPC course at The Woodlands, Tex.

Watson and Peete shared the third-round lead in the Houston Open golf tournament with Jay Haas Saturday, but they got there from different directions.

“The front side just doesn’t want to give up any numbers,” said Peete, who had a two-under-par 70. “The back nine has been very kind to me.”

Watson tore up the front nine with five birdies in his first six holes en route to a 68. He had a two-shot lead before bogeys on the final two holes.

Haas shot a 67 to tie Peete and Watson at 205. Nick Faldo and Wayne Grady, who each had 70s, were next at 207. Curtis Strange shot a 68 for a 208 total.

Janet Coles, pursuing her first victory since 1983, shot a career-low 67 for a three-stroke lead over Pat Bradley after three rounds of the $200,000 S&H; tournament at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Coles, who had six birdies, was at 12-under-par 204. Bradley shot a 71 for a 207 total.

Kathy Whitworth, a five-time winner of the event, and Betsy Barrett were at 209.

Gene Littler and Don January shot a five-under-par 65 and took a four-shot lead after three rounds of the $500,000 Legends of Golf at Austin, Tex.

Littler and January, seeking their second straight title, finished 54 holes at 191.

Peter Thomson-Harold Henning (64), Mike Fetchick-Bob Toski (65), Charles Sifford-Jim Ferree (65) and Lee Elder-Chi Chi Rodriguez (67) were tied at 195.

Howard Clark of Britain and Severiano Ballesteros of Spain shared the lead at 205 after the third round of the $100,000 Madrid Open.