Golf Roundup : Ballesteros Shoots 67 to Take Westchester Lead

Seve Ballesteros birdied three of his last four holes for a four-under-par 67 Friday that put him one stroke in front after two rounds of the $600,000 Westchester tournament at Harrison, N.Y.

“The conditions were a little more tough today,” Ballesteros said. “The course played longer, and we played in the rain most of the day.”

Ballesteros, a playoff loser at the Masters earlier this year, reached the halfway point in 133, nine shots under par on the Westchester Country Club course, which was dampened by day-long showers.

Ballesteros, who started play from the 10th tee, dropped a 25-foot putt for birdie on the 18th and made the turn at one over for the day.

He made his big move late in the day with wedge shots that gave him putts of less than five feet on both the sixth and seventh.

He closed it out with a 2-putt birdie-4 on the ninth.

Mike Reid, who has collected more than $1 million in earnings but is still seeking his first victory in 11 years of PGA Tour activity, moved into second at 134 with a bogey-free 66.

Doug Tewell, who had a second consecutive round of 68 on the relatively short, hilly course in suburban New York, was at 136.

Despite the end of his startling streak of golf consistency, Chi Chi Rodriguez maintained a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the $400,000 Senior Tournament Players Championship merely by shooting even-par 72 at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Rodriguez had broken the tournament record Thursday by firing an opening-round 65, his 13th consecutive round of 70 or lower. He led Billy Maxwell by one stroke heading into the second round, but Maxwell soared from a 66 to a 75 as two-time Senior TPC champion Arnold Palmer and Billy Casper made charges.

Rodriguez rolled in a five-foot birdie putt at 18 to remain at seven under through two rounds--one shot ahead of Casper, who shot a 68 despite capricious winds. Palmer was tied for the lead midway through the round and was still five under until a poor bunker shot at 17 led to a double-bogey 6. Palmer finished with a 72 and was four shots back with Maxwell at 141.

Cathy Gerring and Deb Richard, each seeking their first LPGA victory, were the clubhouse leaders when the second round of the $350,000 Mayflower tournament at Indianapolis was suspended by rain.

Play was halted by rain and lightning with 71 of the 144 players still on the course. Among those was Colleen Walker, who was at seven under through 10 holes.

Richard, the first-round leader, shot an even-par 72 Friday. Gerring shot a 71 to tie Richard at 138.

Sam Torrance of Britain closed with three birdies and an eagle over the final five holes en route to a seven-under-par 65 and a two-shot lead after three rounds of the $410,000 French Open at Paris.

Torrance, who won the Italian Open last month, was at 18-under 198 for the tournament.