Golf Roundup : Kite, Despite 3 Bogeys in a Row, Leads by One

Tom Kite, seeking his first victory of 1987, survived three straight bogeys on the back nine to take a one-stroke lead over Chris Perry in Saturday’s third round of the $700,000 Kemper Open golf tournament at Potomac, Md.

Kite, whose finesse style is perfectly suited to the new Tournament Players Club at Avenel course, led Perry by four strokes with four holes remaining before settling for a three-under-par 68 and a 54-hole total of 201.

Perry, the son of former major league pitcher Jim Perry, led Kite by one stroke after two rounds. He shot a 70 Saturday.

Said Kite: “I was playing so well, so 15, 16 and 17 were more surprises than anything else. They were not good shots, but they were not terrible shots. But this is a funny golf course. It’s short enough where it will give you some birdies, but if you’re off just a little, it will come up and bite you.”

George Burns, with a 68, was at 204. Greg Norman and Scott Hoch were at 205, and Dave Barr, Larry Mize and Howard Twitty were at 206.

Bruce Crampton shot a three-under-par 69 to maintain his three-stroke advantage over Chi Chi Rodriguez in the $200,000 Senior Players Reunion Pro-Am at Dallas.

Crampton and Rodriguez, who also shot a 69, shared the lead for much of the day, but Crampton birdied three of the last seven holes to improve his chances for a second straight PGA Seniors Tour victory with a 36-hole total of 133.

Rodriguez, who took last week off while Crampton was winning at Denver, is trying for his fourth consecutive win. He has already earned $212,040 on the tour this year.

Ayako Okamoto of Japan shot a six-under-par 65 to come from seven strokes back and tie Cathy Morse for the lead after three rounds of the $500,000 LPGA McDonald’s tournament at Wilmington, Del.

Okamoto had seven birdies and one bogey to catch Morse at 208, two strokes ahead of Sherri Turner.

Morse shot a 72, as did Turner.

Mark McNulty of South Africa shot a one-under-par 71 in windy, rainy conditions to grab a share of the lead after three rounds of the $325,000 British Masters at Woburn, England.

McNulty made 17 pars and a birdie on the Duke’s Course at Woburn Golf and Country Club despite the fierce weather. His 207 put him in a tie with Britain’s Ian Woosnam (72), one shot ahead of Ireland’s Christy O’Connor Jr. (71), Sweden’s Mats Lanner (71) and South Africa’s Hugh Baiocchi (72).