Golf Roundup : Wadkins Breezes as Wind Blows Away Challengers

Lanny Wadkins compiled an early six-under-par 66 and let a howling wind destroy his would-be challengers Saturday in the third round of the $1-million Doral Open golf tournament at Miami.

“I can’t remember when I played a better round,” Wadkins said after his bogey-free effort enabled him to complete three trips over the Blue Monster course at Doral in 207.

“I hit about a half-dozen shots that I just went, ‘Woo, that’s as good as I can hit it,’ ” said Wadkins, who played more than a half-hour in front of the other contenders.

His nine-under-par total put him two strokes in front of Ken Brown going into today’s final round of the chase for a $180,000 first prize.

“He’ll be a hard man to catch,” said the 30-year-old Brown, a Scot who has yet to win after three full seasons on the PGA Tour. He had a 69 despite winds that gusted to more than 40 m.p.h. and tormented some of the world’s finest golfers.

There was Severiano Ballesteros scowling and spouting Spanish no one wanted to translate on the way to a two-over-par 74.

There was former Masters champion Bernhard Langer, muttering in German while shooting a 76 that included a triple-bogey 7 from the lake on the 18th hole.

There was Larry Rinker, once two in front of the pack, also finding the water on No. 18, resulting in another 7 and another 76.

And in the forefront of the golfing horror show was Mark Calcavecchia, who had the lead alone with four holes to play and finished five shots back.

Calcavecchia hit two shots into the water on the 18th hole and finished with an 8 that gave him a 73 and a 212 total.

Don Pooley chipped in on the 18th to finish a 71 that left him third at 210.

Fred Couples and Lennie Clements, each of whom had a 74, were tied with Ballesteros at 211.

Langer and Rinker were in a large group at 213 that also included Tom Watson, who had a 71.

Wadkins got away to a fast start with birdies on three of the first four holes.

Two of them came on 25- to 30-foot putts. He dropped another from that distance on the 11th, then birdied two of the last three holes, the final one with another 30-footer.

Cathy Kratzert Gerring, looking for her first LPGA tournament victory, shot a one-under-par 71 for a one-stroke lead over Jane Geddes after three rounds of the $300,000 Women’s Kemper Open at Princeville, Hawaii.

Gerring, who had four birdies and three bogeys, was at 205.

Geddes shot a 69 on the 6,172-yard Princeville Makai course on the island of Kauai.

Three strokes further back was Ayako Okamoto of Japan, who had a 70 despite missing two putts of about two feet.

Jan Stephenson shot a 68 to pull within five strokes of the lead, while JoAnne Carner was at 211 after a 70.

Rosie Jones had a 69 that would have tied her with Carner, but LPGA officials disqualified her for an illegal drop in front of the 17th green.