Golf Roundup : Alcott Is LPGA Leader by 2 Shots After a 69

Amy Alcott, seeking her second straight victory in a Grand Slam event, opened a two-stroke lead Saturday in the third round of the LPGA Championship at the Jack Nicklaus Sports Center in Mason, Ohio.

Alcott, who has won every major women’s championship except the LPGA at least once, shot a third-round, three-under-par 69 for a 54-hole total of 208.

A victory in the $350,000 tournament would give her both of the women’s major championships played so far this year. She won the Dinah Shore in April.

Alcott had a four-stroke edge after 17 holes, but it was cut in half when she drove into a ditch and took a bogey on the 18th.

Amy Benz, who had bogeyed the three preceding holes, birdied No. 18 for a 69 and was in second place at 210 on the 6,389-yard Grizzly Course. Benz, who started the day three under par, was eight under par and tied for the lead through 14 holes.

In third place at 211 was Ayako Okamoto of Japan, who had a 69.

Dot Germain, shooting a 71 on her 41st birthday, was at 212, tied with Missie Berteotti, Sally Little, Judy Dickinson and Kathy Postlewait. Berteotti’s 68 was the low round of the day.

Sally Quinlan, who started the day with a two-stroke lead, faded to a 79 and fell eight strokes behind.

Clarence Rose used a burst of birdies on the back nine to surge into a three-stroke lead after three rounds of the $750,000 Colonial National Invitation tournament at Fort Worth.

Rose, a playoff loser last Sunday and a non-winner in eight seasons on the PGA Tour, broke out of a three-way tie with a five-under-par 65 that included four birdies in a stretch of six holes on the back nine.

His total of 200 put the rest of the field in a catch-up situation going into today’s final round.

Joey Sindelar’s 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole completed a 67 that left him in second place at 203.

Ben Crenshaw was next at 204 after shooting a 68.

Lanny Wadkins, who shared the lead through the first two rounds, could do no better than match par 70 and fell five shots back. He was tied with Mark Calcavecchia, who had a 68.

Scott Hoch, also a co-leader through the first 36 holes, had a 71 and was tied at 206 with Mark Lye, John Huston, John Mahaffey and John Inman.

Lye had nine 3’s and a 2 while shooting a 63, just one stroke off the course record.

Bob Charles of New Zealand had five birdies en route to a three-under-par 67 Saturday and a three-shot lead after two rounds of the $300,000 Commemorative senior tournament at Scarborough-on-Hudson, N.Y.

Charles, who shot a course-record 63 in Friday’s opening round, was at 130.

Don Massengale, who joined the PGA Seniors Tour last year, shot a 65 for a two-round total of 133 on the 6,545-yard course.

Harold Henning had his second consecutive 67 to move into third place at 134, one stroke ahead of Bruce Crampton and Larry Mowry.