GOLF ROUNDUP : Okamoto Falls Into Three-Way Tie

Ayako Okamoto’s putter got her the lead and then gave it back.

Okamoto parred the first 16 holes Saturday, but missed two short putts to close with consecutive bogeys and fall into a three-way tie for the lead in the LPGA Championship at Bethesda, Md.

“I knew the bogeys were going to come in this round somewhere, but I also hoped there would be some birdies along the way,” she said. “I had some birdie putts, but none went in.”

Okamoto, who shares the lead at 207 with Pat Bradley and Meg Mallon after a two-over-par 73, built her two-stroke lead by making every putt she had from 10 feet and in. She maintained the margin until missing a four-footer on the 17th hole and followed by three-putting the 18th.

“The difference?” Okamoto said when asked about the reversal of her putting fortunes. “I wish I knew. If I did, I could play under par every time.”

Bradley and Mallon had 71s.

Barb Bunkowsky fired a 70 to move within one shot of the leaders and defending champion Beth Daniel (68) and Deb Richard (72) were at 209. Amy Alcott shot a 71 and was three strokes back.

Betsy King had four birdies on the back nine for a 67 that put her in a group of four at 211. Shirley Furlong had a 73 for 212.

Fred Couples shot a five-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Peter Persons and Hal Sutton after three rounds of the $1-million St. Jude Classic at Memphis, Tenn.

Couples began the day four strokes behind before posting six birdies and one bogey over the 7,006-yard, par-71 Tournament Players Club at Southwind.

Couples’ total of 201 is a tournament record for 54 holes, breaking the 202 set last year by Tom Kite and John Cook.

Persons birdied the 16th after chipping to within four feet. He made birdie putts of six and 10 feet at 17 and 18 to close with a 65.

Sutton, who won the St. Jude in 1985, had five birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 31. But he took bogeys on three of his first five holes on the back nine and finished with a 67.

Al Geiberger sank a 90-foot birdie put en route to a five-under-par 65 and moved into a tie with Jim Colbert at 133 after two rounds of the Senior tournament at Kansas City.

Colbert, who had a 67, sank a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 17 to take the lead but bogeyed No. 18 when his approach shot went into a bunker.

Larry Laoretti (70), Chi Chi Rodriguez (68) and Don January (68) were tied at 136.

The 90-foot birdie “felt like a hole in one,” Geiberger said.

“It took about that long to get there. It weaved and weaved around, then it started going right when it was supposed to go right, and it went in.”

Lee Trevino, who had a 72 Friday after changing his putting stance and style, closed to within six shots of the leaders with a 67, including an eagle-3 on No. 8.