GOLF ROUNDUP : Predictably, King Leads by Three Shots After 67

Betsy King, doing precisely what she predicted was necessary, shot a 67 Saturday for a three-stroke lead through three rounds of the LPGA Big Apple Classic at New Rochelle, N.Y.

King, the defending champion, set a course record with a 63 in the third round last year. She wasn’t nearly as overpowering in the 100-degree heat this time, but she posted the lowest score for the second day in a row, capping it with four consecutive birdies--from the 14th through 17th holes.

King had said if she shot “three- or four-under over the weekend,” she would probably win.

King, the tour leader in birdies, had seven Saturday. That pulled her out of a tie with tour non-winner Cindy Figg-Currier, who shot 69 and was at 209, four under par at the hilly, par-71 Wykagyl Country Club.

Elaine Crosby had a two-under 69 to move into third at 211.

Mike Hill, an excellent player in windy conditions, rode a six-under-par 66 to an 11-under 133 total and a three-stroke lead over Al Geiberger in the $500,000 Senior Tour event at Aurora, Ill.

Geiberger, the first-round leader, shot a 71. Jim Ferree shot a 69 and was alone in third at 137.

“I’m glad the wind blew,” Hill said. “We would have baked if it hadn’t blown.

“If it blows (today), it makes it harder for guys to shoot low numbers and catch you,” said Hill, whose round included nine birdies. He had four birdies during a front-nine 32, and five birdies on the back helped overcome three bogeys.

Geiberger said he would need a 66 or 67 to have a chance of winning the tournament.

“If I shoot a 68 or 69, I can’t catch him,” Geiberger said. “If I shoot 66 or 67 and still don’t win, I’ll have done all I could.”

Lance Ten Broeck shot a four-under-par 66 and held a one-stroke lead over Dillard Pruitt after three rounds of the PGA Tour event in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Ten Broeck’s score was his highest of the $700,000 event. He had an opening-round 64 and shot 65 Friday on the par-70, 6,641-yard Valleybrook Golf and Country Club course.

Ten Broeck is at 15-under 195, two shots better than Lennie Clements, Jim Gallagher Jr., Steve Lowery and Phil Stewart.

David Berganio, a University of Arizona student, dethroned defending champion Michael Combs 4 and 2 to win the U.S. Amateur Public Links championship at Columbus, Ind.

The decisive hole was the par-3 13th of the second 18-hole round of the day. Berganio had a routine two-putt, but Combs missed his par putt and feel three holes behind.