Golf Roundup : Sauers Shoots 64 to Take One-Shot Lead Over Strange

Gene Sauers shot a seven-under-par 64 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Curtis Strange in the third round of the $450,000 Bank of Boston golf tournament at Sutton, Mass.

Sauers’ score, which was one stroke off the Pleasant Valley course record, gave him a total of 205. The 24-year-old resident of Savannah, Ga., moved into the lead with the help of a late double-bogey by Strange, who shot a 68.

Mark Calcavecchia and Blaine McCallister were tied for third place at 207, while Curt Byrum, Calvin Peete, Larry Rinker and Ernie Gonzalez were all at 208.

“I worked on my game early this week,” said Sauers, whose best finish this year was a fourth-place showing in the Byron Nelson tournament.

“Come Wednesday afternoon, things were getting better, and by Thursday everything was in place. I hit every shot today the way I wanted to. The crowd was yelling when I made my putts, and that got my adrenaline going.”

Sauers completed a bogey-free round with birdies on three of the final four holes.

Strange, the leading money-winner on the PGA Tour last year, was breezing along early in the round and by the 15th hole was nine under par. However, he took a 5 on the par-3 16th hole, enabling Sauers to make his move.

“I hit a bad shot and got a bad break,” Strange said. “I’m just glad it wasn’t on Sunday afternoon. We’ve got a long 18 to go tomorrow.”

Unlike the previous two days, the weather Saturday was ideal, and the scores reflected it.

Judy Dickinson, with only one tour victory in nine years, shot a course-record, nine-under-par 63 to share the third-round lead in the $200,000 LPGA Safeco tournament on the Meridian Valley Country Club course at Kent, Wash.

Dickinson, who did not have a bogey and needed only 23 putts as she equaled the best 18-hole score on the tour this year, came from eight strokes behind to move into a tie with second-round leader Jan Stephenson at 207. Stephenson had a 71.

Beth Daniel, who shot a 70, and Hollis Stacy, who had a 68, were at 208.

The round was interrupted by lightning for nearly 1 1/2 hours.

Chi Chi Rodriguez shot a five-under-par 67 for a 136 total and a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the $300,000 United Virginia Bank Senior PGA tournament at Richmond, Va.

Gary Player of South Africa had a 68 and was one stroke back.

Rodriguez had six birdies and one bogey on the 6,644-yard Hermitage Country Club course. He had only one three-putt green on a sunny afternoon. “I wish I could have putted like this 20 years ago,” he said.

Rain stopped play midway through the third round of the European Open at Sunningdale, England, with Australian Greg Norman and Britain’s Bernard Gallacher and Nick Faldo tied for the lead at eight under par.

The downpour flooded the greens of Sunningdale’s Old Course with the leaders on the sixth and seventh holes.

Golfers were told to mark their balls on the fairways and greens and will resume the third round early today. The final round will be played later today.

Australian Graham Marsh shot a five-under-par 67 and surged into a three-stroke lead in the third round of the $387,000 Suntory Open tournament at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Japan.

Three Japanese players--Masashi Ozaki, Isao Aoki and Hajime Meshiai--were tied for second. Ozaki and Aoki each shot a 69, Meshiai a 68.

Jack Nicklaus had a 72 and a 217 total.