Golf Roundup : Strange Leads by 2 Despite Bogey on Final Hole

Curtis Strange made a mistake, but the way he sees it, he can afford another.

Strange shot a two-under-par 68 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Davis Love III in the third round of the $800,000 NEC World Series of Golf at Akron, Ohio, despite a bogey on the final hole.

“A two-shot lead enables me to make a mistake and it wouldn’t be costly,” Strange said. “The people behind me have to be more aggressive.

“I didn’t hit the ball well on the 18th, but anytime you shoot a 68, you have to be pleased. Still, I struggled. Maybe this little cushion will help.”

Strange, with rounds of 70, 66 and 68, is at six-under-par 204 after 54 holes. Love had a 66 to go with rounds of 68 and 72 for a 206 total.

Only five players have bettered par after three rounds. Tom Kite’s 65 was the day’s best score, and his 208 put him in a tie with Fulton Allen of South Africa (71-70-67) and Bobby Wadkins (64-74-70).

Fred Couples, Richard Fehr, Mike Hulbert, Greg Norman, Mac O’Grady, defending champion Dan Pohl and Fred Wadsworth are at even-par 210.

Jane Geddes rolled in a 60-foot birdie putt and also scored an eagle while shooting a five-under-par 67 to gain a share of the lead with Japan’s Ayako Okamoto after three rounds of the $250,000 World Championship of Women’s Golf at Buford, Ga.

Okamoto, the second-round leader, struggled to a 73 and is tied with Geddes at five-under-par 211.

“Overall, I played very, very well,” Geddes said. “I had a lot better attitude today.”

Geddes got her 60-foot birdie putt on the par-4 10th hole and sank a 12-footer for an eagle-3 on the 405-yard 16th.

Geddes, who played a bogey-free round, also birdied from 10 feet on No. 3 and two-putted from 25 feet for another birdie on No. 5.

Okamoto missed her chance to take a one-shot lead when her 10-foot birdie attempt on the final hole just missed.

Okamoto birdied the fourth hole to get to seven-under-par, but had a double bogey 7 on No. 5. She also bogeyed Nos. 7 and 8, but rallied with three birdies on the back side before taking a bogey 4 on No. 15.

Colleen Walker, who has won only once in her six years on the tour, moved to within one shot of the lead with a 70 for a total of 212. Laurie Rinker shot a 71 and was alone at 214, three shots back.

Robert Thompson had 8 birdies in his final 11 holes and finished with an eight-under-par 62 to share a one-stroke lead with Rocco Mediate after three rounds of the $450,000 Provident tournament at Chatanooga, Ten.

Thompson, a second-year pro from Huntsville, Tex., and second-round leader Mediate, of Greensburg, Pa., have three-round totals of 198 on the 6,641-yard Valleybrook Golf and Country Club course.

Mediate went into the third round 11 under par and shot a 69.

Blaine McCallister (65) of Fort Stockton, Tex., and John Inman (67) of Greensboro, N.C., were at 199.

Miller Barber used some outstanding wedge shots to shoot a five-under-par 67 and take a three-stroke lead entering the final round of the $300,000 PGA Senior Showdown at Jeremy Ranch, Utah.

Barber, winner of more than $1 million on both the PGA and the PGA Senior tours, has a 36-hole total of 138 on the Jeremy Ranch Golf Course. Former PGA champion Bobby Nichols (65) and Don Massengale (71) shared second place.

Barber’s wedge shots, including one he chipped in for a birdie on No. 14, gave him five birdie putts of inside five feet. On the only birdie putt he missed, at No. 7, a bug flew into his eye just as he swung.