GOLF ROUNDUP : Willie Wood Finally Falters, Falls Into Tie

As next-door neighbors and college teammates, Willie Wood and Bob Tway played a lot of rounds of golf together.

As co-leaders heading into today’s final round of the Hardee’s Golf Classic at Coal Valley, Ill., they’ll play one more.

“I don’t know how many hundreds of rounds we’ve played together,” Wood said after he double-bogeyed No. 18 to fall back into the tie with his Oklahoma City neighbor and Oklahoma State teammate at 199, 11 under.

Two shots back were second-round leader Billy Mayfair, first-round leader Jeff Sluman, Jim Gallagher Jr. and Jay Delsing. Mayfair had a 71, Delsing a 70, Gallagher a 67 and Sluman a 65 at the Oakwood Country Club course.

Wood was cruising toward his second consecutive bogey-free round before he hit his tee shot on the final hole out of bounds and had to settle for a two-under 68.

Tway, who carded a third-round 67, said if he couldn’t win the $180,000 first prize, he hoped Wood did.

“I’m pleased to see him playing well,” Tway said.

“He has been more successful than I,” said Wood, looking for his first title after more than six years on the Tour.

Early this year, Tway tied for fifth at Phoenix and tied for seventh at the Bob Hope Classic.

A total of 23 golfers are within five shots of the lead.

Gallagher beat Mayfair in a playoff for last weekend’s Greater Milwaukee Open title and the two will be together again in one of today’s threesomes.

Dennis Harrington got the first hole in one of the tournament when he used a six-iron on the 174-yard No. 12.

Defending champion Rives McBee finished with an eagle to shoot a five-under 67 for a two-stroke lead in the Senior Tour event at Lexington, Ky.

McBee, who won his first Seniors event in the 1989 tournament, birdied No. 17 before the eagle on the 531-yard final hole on the Kearney Hill Golf Links. He had a 36-hole total of 133, 11 under.

Quinton Gray shot a 67 to stay two strokes behind McBee. Lee Trevino pulled into contention with a 66, and is at 137.

Nick Faldo overcame wrist problems with a six-under-par 64 to move two shots behind Gordon Brand in the European Open golf championship at Sunningdale, England.

Brand, from England, shot a 65 to give him a one-stroke edge over Welshman Ian Woosnam, Jose Maria Canizares of Spain and Australian Peter Senior.

Pat Bradley shot a 68 to take a one-stroke lead in the LPGA event at Portland, Ore. Bradley is at six-under 138, one up on Dottie Mochrie and Sherri Turner.