Golf Roundup : Last-Minute Team Shares Florida Lead

Mike Hulbert and Lori Garbacz, a last-minute pairing, and the veteran team of Larry Mize and Martha Nause shared the lead in the third round of the $800,000 J.C. Penney golf tournament at Largo, Fla., Saturday.

Garbacz, who replaced injured Val Skinner as Hulbert’s partner, and Hulbert, who finished second with Skinner 2 years ago, combined for a 7-under-par 65 over the par-72 Bardmoor Country Club course. They were at 15-under 201 along with Mize, the 1987 Masters champion, and Nause, who have competed together for six years and teamed for a 67.

Two other teams, Mike Sullivan-Sally Little and John Huston-Amy Benz were one stroke back. Huston and Benz shot a 65, including 6 birdies on the front nine, and Sullivan and Little had a 68.

Garbacz, who hadn’t played much this year and was slated to work as a television commentator at the tournament, sank 4 birdie putts on the front nine and another at the 10th hole.

“Val jammed or sprained a couple of fingers and couldn’t play,” Hulbert said. “She told me Lori had asked to fill in. I got permission from the tournament director and we’ve played real well together.”

Two-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin shot a 7-under-par 65 to take a 2-stroke lead after 3 rounds of the $1.25-million Australian Bicentennial tournament at Melbourne.

Irwin’s rounds of 69-67-65 gave him a 15-under-par total of 201. Ben Crenshaw, rising Australian star Brett Ogle and Australian Rodger Davis were at 203. Ogle shot a 66, Davis a 68 and Crenshaw a 70.

South African Fulton Allem shot a 6-under-par 66 to climb from fifth place into a tie for the lead with Ken Green Saturday after 3 rounds of the Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City, South Africa.

Allem, a first-year pro, and Green, who shot a 70, had 54-hole scores of 209 and shared a two-stroke lead in the eight-man invitational event.

Don January shot a 68 to take the lead after two rounds of the Kaanapali tournament, the final event of the PGA Seniors Tour, at Kaanapali, Hawaii, with a score of 10-under-par 134.

Don Bies and Herald Henning were tied for second at 135.

Emilee Klein, 14, from Sherman Oaks, defeated Flecia Brown of Tucson, 3 up, and will face veteran Mary Budke for the California State Women’s Amateur title today at Carmel Valley.

Budke, a physician from Granada Hills who was the 1972 Women’s National Amateur Champion, defeated Terri Melanson of Seal Beach, 2 and 1.