Golf Roundup : European Team Moves Closer to First-Ever Ryder Cup Win in U.S.

The stars of European golf--Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Seve Ballesteros--dominated their American rivals again Saturday and brought their team to the verge of winning the Ryder Cup at Dublin, Ohio.

American players have never lost the cup on U.S. soil, but the European team opened a 10 1/2-5 1/2 lead with 12 singles matches remaining today. The Europeans need to win only four of them to retain the cup.

“We wanted to keep our momentum today,” said Faldo, who teamed with Woosnam in the afternoon four-ball matches to birdie 10 of 14 holes and clobber Tom Kite and Curtis Strange, 5 and 4.

The Europeans began the day with a four-point lead and boosted that by one during the morning matches. Lyle and Langer teamed to down Lanny Wadkins and Larry Nelson, 2 and 1, and Ballesteros and Jose-Maria Olazabal beat Ben Crenshaw and Payne Stewart, 1 up.

Kite and Strange were the only American winners in the morning, beating Gordon Brand and Jose Rivero, 3 and 1; Faldo and Woosnam halved a match with Larry Mize and Hal Sutton.

The afternoon four-ball matches were split--Woosnam and Faldo staging their one-sided romp over Kite and Strange, and Lyle and Langer beating Wadkins and Nelson again, 1 up.

Andy Bean and Stewart defeated Eamonn Darcy and Gordon Brand, 3 and 2, and Sutton and Mize downed Ballesteros and Olazabal, 2 and 1.

David Edwards shot a seven-under-par 65 and charged into the lead from five strokes back entering the final round of the $400,000 Southwest PGA tournament at Abilene, Tex..

Edwards, at 14-under-par 202, held a one-stroke edge over Hale Irwin, who also shot a 65, and first-day leader Bob Eastwood (69).

Dan Halldorson, who started the day with a two-stroke lead, shot a 72 and was two strokes off the pace.

Miller Barber shot a two-under-par 70 to maintain his one-shot lead over Bruce Crampton after two rounds of the $200,000 Newport Cup PGA Seniors tournament at Newport, R.I.

Barber, who has a 36-hole total of 137, led by five shots after 12 holes before recording three straight bogeys. Crampton also shot a 70 in the second round.

Joe Jimenez had a 68 and was third at 140.

Juli Inkster, seeking her first victory of the year, shot a five-under-par 67 to take the lead after two rounds of a $300,000 LPGA tournament at San Jose.

Inkster, a San Jose State graduate who is 19th on the money list after finishing third last year, was at 138 for 36 holes. She held a one-stroke lead over first-round leader Missie Berteotti, who had a 71. Defending champion Patty Sheehan, Cindy Figg-Currier, Jan Stephenson and Amy Alcott were at 140.