Golf Roundup : Crenshaw Leads Birdie Battle of New Orleans

Ben Crenshaw shot a five-under-par 67 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Ronnie Black with a 54-hole total of 15-under-par 201 in the $500,000 USF&G; tournament at New Orleans.

Black, meanwhile, shot a three-under 69, despite a bogey on the 18th hole. He’s at 13 under par.

Tom Watson, Curtis Strange and Jay Haas each shot a 66, and Keith Clearwater had a 65 to create a four-way tie for third at 204. Second-round leader Dick Mast came in at 73 to fall four shots off the pace at 205 along with Bob Gilder, who was a shot off the lead going into Saturday’s round.

Gilder was 15-under after 13 holes and tied with Crenshaw, but he shot double-bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes to post an even-par 72.

Jan Stephenson shot a one-under-par 71 and increased her lead to three strokes after three rounds of the $200,000 Tucson Open with a 54-hole total of 208, eight under par.

Stephenson’s lead was cut to one stroke on the par-3 sixth hole when Sally Quinlan made a 25-footer for a birdie. Then, there was then a four-stroke swing over the next four holes as Stephenson, a 13th-year veteran whose 13 career titles include a 1983 victory here, birdied Nos. 7, 8 and 10 while Quinlan was three-putting No. 9 for a bogey-5.

On the back nine, Stephenson birdied the 11th, 15th and 16th holes, and Quinlan had bogeys at 14 and 17.

Quinlan, seeking her second win since she joined the tour in 1983, finished with an even-par 72 at 211 on the 6,214-yard Randolph North Golf Course.

Betsy King chipped in from 30 yards out for an eagle-3 on No. 18 to finish the same way she started--tied with Sherri Turner. Both players shot even-par 72 and were at 213.