Golf Roundup : Tewell Plays It Straight, Is Among Leaders

Doug Tewell declined to follow through on a threat to manipulate the format and, instead, was among the leading point-getters Friday in the International golf tournament at Castle Rock, Colo.

Tewell birdied two of his last three holes and completed two trips over the Castle Pines Golf Club course with a total of 19 points under the modified Stableford system used for this tournament.

That was good enough to put him in the final threesome for Saturday’s third round, when all 72 survivors start over again from zero.

Under the scoring system used for this event, five points are awarded for eagles and two for birdies. One point is subtracted for a bogey and three for double bogeys and higher. Only point totals count. Medal scores have no bearing.

After finishing among the leaders Thursday, Tewell noted that points are not carried forward from the first two rounds.

He suggested that, should he find himself among the point leaders late in the second round, he could purposely make a couple of high scores to give himself a more favorable, early starting time for Saturday’s play.

He didn’t do it. His only bogey of the day was on his first hole.

“I got to playing good, and it was a lot of fun so I just said, ‘Let’s practice,’ ” Tewell said.

“When I hit it to three feet (for a birdie on his 17th hole), I turned to the gallery and said, ‘I guess it’s too late to tank it now,’ ”

Nick Price of Zimbabwe picked up another eight points and led the field through the first 36 holes with 20 points.

Price and Tewell will play the third round with Steve Elkington of Australia, who had 19 points through 36 holes.

The field today will be competing for 24 places in Sunday’s final round, when all players again start from zero.

Defending champion Joey Sindelar, Mark McCumber, Fred Couples and Mike Reid were the major casualties when the field was cut after Friday’s round. It took six points or more to make it.

Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw all advanced, but Watson and Crenshaw had to work hard over the last few holes to do it.

Miller Barber birdied the first four holes and shot a seven-under-par 65 for a three-stroke lead in the first round of the $350,000 GTE Northwest tournament at Seattle.

Don Massengale, Dave Hill and Al Geiberger, were tied for second with 68s.

Kevin Sutherland of Sacramento shot a six-under-par 66 on the Skylinks course to take a one-stroke lead midway through the $110,000 Queen Mary Open golf tournament at Lakewood.

Sutherland’s 36-hole total was 133, one shot better than Brian Henninger of Eugene, Ore., and Mike Blewett of Westlake.