Golf Roundup : Despite Five Bogeys and a 74, Donald Leads by Two Strokes

Mike Donald already has experienced the ultimate pressure in his nine years on the PGA Tour.

So he won’t be nervous today when he tees off with a two-shot lead in the final round of the $800,000 Independent Insurance Agent Open at The Woodlands, Tex.

“In last year’s Disney, I had to birdie eight of the last 10 holes just to save my card,” Donald said. “They were ready to tell me to go find another job.

“I won’t feel any more pressure than that tomorrow (Sunday).”

Donald shot a third-round, two-over-par 74 Saturday that included five bogeys, but his 208 total is still two shots better than three players, including Seve Ballesteros, who also had bogey problems on the front nine before playing a smooth back side for a par 72.

Donald never has won a Tour event. He’s tied for second place twice, in the Hawaiian Open and the Players’ Championship.

Ballesteros is tied with John Inman, whose 66 was the day’s best round, and Lance Ten Broeck, who shot an 68.

Don Bies overcame winds gusting to 40 m.p.h. to shoot a five-under-par 67 for an eight-shot lead after two rounds of the Seniors Reunion Pro-Am at Frisco, Tex.

Bies, the 1988 Senior PGA Tour rookie of the year, had a nine-under par 135 total over the 7,064-yard par-72 Stonebriar Country Club course.

Bruce Crampton, who for the second time dunked a shot into the water on his finishing hole for a bogey, shot even-par 72 and was a distant second at 143.

Don January, who helped design the course, shot a 69 at was at even-par 144 along with with Harold Henning, who had a 71, and Dale Douglass who shot his second consecutive 72.