Golf Roundup : Swedish Rookie Has 2-Shot Lead in Open

Liselotte Neumann of Sweden shot a bogey-free 69, tied still another scoring record and pulled away to a two-shot lead Saturday in the third round of the 43rd U.S. Women’s Open Championship in the Baltimore suburb of Luthersville, Md.

Neumann completed three trips over the hilly Five Farms course at the Baltimore Country Club in 5-under-par 208, which tied the Women’s Open record for 54 holes, set by Amy Alcott in 1980.

Neumann, 22, an LPGA Tour rookie, has led or shared the lead all the way and has set or tied tournament scoring records at the end of each day’s play.

She set the Women’s Open first-round record with a 67, tied the 36-hole record with a 139 and dropped an 8-foot par putt on the final hole Saturday to equal still another mark.

Veteran Patty Sheehan, with a 68, moved into second place at 210.

Tammie Green and Colleen Walker, at 212, were the only other players under par going into today’s final round. Green matched par 71, and Walker shot a 68 in the hazy, cloudy weather that produced a brief shower shortly before the leaders finished.

Amy Benz was five strokes back after shooting a 71.

Juli Inkster, one of three tied for the second-round lead, had a share of the top spot until her drive on the 12th hole trickled into a pond.

It was the start of a slide that saw her lose six shots to par over the last seven holes. She finished with a 75 that put her in a tie at 214 with Michele Berteotti and Beth Daniel.

Dottie Pepper Mochrie, tied with Neumann and Inkster for the second-round lead, bogeyed five straight holes on the front nine, shot a 76 and drifted back to 215.

Ronnie Black shot a 6-under-par 65, and Mark Calcavecchia had a 67 Saturday to tie second-round leader Mark Brooks, who had a 69, for the lead after three rounds of the $700,000 Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open at Cromwell, Conn.

Black made six birdie putts to pull into a tie with Calcavecchia and Brooks at 13-under-par 200 but said he might be in the lead if he hadn’t been distracted by the voice of CBS television commentator Ken Venturi while standing over a 7-foot birdie putt on the 18th green.

“It wasn’t Kenny’s fault. It was just so quiet up in those hospitality tents that I heard the television sets,” Black said. “He was saying I should try to hit it into the right lip of the cup, which is what I was thinking, too. But I can’t believe I didn’t back off and take it over again.”

Brett Upper and Fulton Allem were two strokes off the pace, and five other players were within three strokes of the leaders after 54 holes on the 6,786-yard Tournament Players Club of Connecticut course.

Walt Zembriski one-putted eight greens on his way to a 7-under-par 65 and the second-round lead in the $250,000 Newport Cup Seniors tournament at Newport, R.I.

Zembriski, bidding for his first victory in four seasons on the PGA Seniors Tour, was at 12-under-par 132 after 36 holes, two shots ahead of former Masters champion Charles Coody, who shot his second straight 67. Lee Elder shot a 66 and was at 135.

Gary Player of South Africa shot a 2-over-par 72, but his 203 total left him one stroke ahead of Neil Coles of England after three rounds of the $270,000 British Seniors Open at Turnberry, Scotland.

Coles, the defending champion, narrowed the gap with a 69. Billy Casper also had a 72 and fell to third place at 205.

Former champion Brian Gaddy, playing on his home course, shot a 1-under-par 69 and moved into a three-way tie for the lead after three rounds of the 89th Southern California Amateur Golf Championship at Annandale Golf Club.

Gaddy, 44, is tied with second-round leader James Camaione of Upland and Paul Goydos of Cal State Long Beach. They have 54-hole totals of 215.

Camaione shot a 74, and Goydos got his share of the lead with the best round of the tournament, a 67, that included an eagle 2 on the par-4 10th hole.

Gaddy also has the advantage of having been in this position before. He won the 1978 tournament at Bel-Air Country Club, and among those he defeated then were current PGA Tour players Mark O’Meara, Cory Pavin and Mark Wiebe.