Golf Roundup : Couples Changes Mind About Quitting Tour

Fred Couples, a day closer to victory, changed his mind about quitting for the year if he wins the Western Open golf tournament.

“I lie a lot,” Couples said Saturday after a struggling one-over-par 73 had left him in a tie for the lead going into today’s final round.

A day earlier, Couples had been extremely critical of his own don’t-care attitude, blamed all his poor play on himself, said all he really wanted to do was go home, then added:

“If I win this tournament, I’ll quit for the year. I won’t play another round this year.”

But that plan has been changed.

“If I win, I’ll quit,” he said, and hurried on, “except for the PGA (next week), and except for the World Series (of Golf three weeks away), and Boston . . . “ He let the sentence trail off unfinished.

Couples and South African David Frost, who shot a 71, shared the top spot at five-under-par 211 after 54 holes over the wind-raked Butler National Golf Club course in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, Ill.

Shortly after Frost had finished play, a PGA Tour official announced that he had been fined $1,000 for slow play.

The action came after Bobby Wadkins, who played in the group immediately behind Frost’s threesome, publicly criticized the slow pace of play.

“Ridiculous,” said Wadkins, a 12-year tour veteran whose 74 left him a single shot off the lead. “Something has got to be done. We were out there way too long, almost five hours.”

Wadkins was tied at 212 with rookie Tom Byrum and veteran George Burns. Byrum matched par 72 with five birdies and as many bogeys, and Burns had a 71.

Debbie Massey shot a two-under-par 70 for a 211 total and a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the $300,000 LPGA National Pro-Am at Denver.

Second-round leader Chris Johnson shot a 72 and was at 212, while Amy Alcott and Pat Bradley were at 213. Alcott had a 72, while Bradley had the hot round of the day, a 67.

Defending champion Lee Elder, saying he always plays well when in the lead, shot a six-under-par 64 to take a four-stroke advantage with a 131 total after two rounds of the $250,000 Merrill Lynch-Golf Digest Commemorative seniors tournament at Scarborough, N.Y.

In second place was first-round leader Chi Chi Rodriquez, who shot a 71.

Craig Stadler shot his third straight 66 and moved out to a two-stroke lead with a 198 total after 54 holes of the Scandinavian Enterprise Open at Stockholm.

Second-round leader Greg Turner of New Zealand shot a 69 and was in second place.