GOLF ROUNDUP : Couples’ 75 Lets Norman and Stewart Through

Greg Norman came back from a long rain delay to finish a three-under-par 69 and took a one-stroke lead when Fred Couples botched the final hole in Saturday’s third round of the Memorial tournament at Dublin, Ohio.

Couples, who led through the first two rounds of this weather-troubled tournament, held a share of the top spot when he went to the 18th tee in the gathering twilight.

As the last player on the course, Couples hooked his drive into a little creek, had to take a drop and went on to a double-bogey six.

It finished a three-over-par 75 that dropped him two strokes off the pace with one round to go.

Norman completed three rounds at even-par 216 and was long gone from Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village Golf Club course when Couples finished in a cold rain.

Norman didn’t know he would end up as the 54-hole leader when he said he “wasn’t real happy with the way I played. I didn’t really play that well on the back,” although that’s where he made up eight shots on Couples.

With Couples’ last-hole collapse, Payne Stewart took over second place at 217 after shooting a 69 in a tournament that was raked by gale-force winds Thursday, then subjected to cold, steady rain that caused a 2-hour, 10-minute delay Saturday.

Stewart, who has won two of his last three starts, hopes he will have another chance to make up some ground.

“I was trying to get up there around the lead, get the lead, because there’s a definite possibility the golf tournament can be rained out, canceled tomorrow,” he said. “All I can do is hope we can play tomorrow.”

The forecast was for continued rain through this morning.

Couples, who lost four shots to par over the last five holes and played the back nine in 41, dropped into a tie for third at 218 with Don Pooley, Brad Faxon and Mark Brooks.

Pooley, the 1987 winner of this event, had a 74. Brooks and Faxon each matched par 72.

Peter Jacobsen (71) and Bill Sander (72) were at 219.

Terry Dill sank a 40-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to take a two-stroke lead over Mike Hill after the second round of the Southwestern Bell tournament at Oklahoma City.

Dill’s three-under 69 left him at 139 and put him in position to win his first PGA Senior Tour championship today--his 51st birthday.

“I didn’t hit the ball nearly as well today as I did yesterday, but I hit a lot of good shots,” said Dill, a former law professor who has won $122,000 since joining the Senior Tour last year.

Hill, the second-leading money winner this year, had six birdies and three bogeys in a round of 69. He is virtually assured of finishing in the top 10 for the eighth time in 10 starts this year.

Dottie Mochrie shot a career-low 65 to take a seven-shot lead after the second round of the LPGA Crestar tournament at Chesapeake, Va.

Her seven-under-par round gave her a total of 132 and the largest second-round lead of the year on the tour.

Rosie Jones was second at 139 after shooting a 70, with Chris Johnson (67) another stroke back.

Patty Sheehan shot a 71 and was tied with Deb Richard and Vicki Fergon at 141. Richard shot 69 Saturday. Fergon had a 71.