Dickinson Gets Share of the Lead : Golf: Mallon and Crosby also are tied going into the third round of the Inamori Classic.

Hold that retirement thought.

Judy Dickinson might be 42 with a bad back and 2-year-old twin boys to chase, but she also has a share of the second-round lead in the Inamori Classic.

Dickinson, who was runner-up in last year’s tournament to champion Laura Davies, has posted consecutive 69s at the StoneRidge Country Club for a six-under 138 to pull even with Meg Mallon and Elaine Crosby.

Mallon and Crosby each finished at 68 Friday, and along with Dickerson, they will take a three-shot lead over Dana Lofland and Michelle Mackall into today’s third round.

“I don’t think I’m over the hill yet,” said Dickinson, who is married to seven-time PGA Tour winner, Gardner Dickinson. “I think it depends on how competitively you stay mentally and physically how you keep yourself in shape. You can keep playing as long as you don’t lose your distance.

“And actually I think it helps (having the twins). After lifting those guys every night . . .”

Dickinson joined the tour in 1978 and presently serves as the LPGA’s president. She hasn’t claimed a victory since 1986, but she had her best financial finish last year with $251,017.

“At the first players meeting this year I looked at the rookies and they all looked about 6-2 and as if they had been working out for 10 years,” Dickinson said. “You know, we were standing there and going, ‘Wow.’ (The younger players) can really play, so it’s take no prisoners to keep going.

“I finished in the top 10 in 1985 and 1986 and since then I’ve had back problems and have gotten pregnant. It’s funny, it has been six years since I’ve won, but it doesn’t feel that way to me.”

Youth might dominate the LPGA Tour these days, but Mallon, who is still shy of birthday No. 30, isn’t about to dismiss Dickinson’s stately presence on the leader board.

“She’s a strong player and always has been out here,” Mallon said. “She’s done an awful lot for the tour off the golf course and has been able to fairly maintain her golf game, which is incredible considering what the organization has gone through in the last couple of years.”

The LPGA has had upper-level management problems in the past few years, and Dickinson has had to juggle meetings and problems with tough golf courses and eager competitors. The hiring last year of LPGA Commissioner Charles Mechem, however, has eased Dickinson’s load.

“It’s almost scary now, because she can concentrate on golf,” Mallon said. “She’s so talented; age has nothing to do with it. I chased a 40-year-old named (Pat) Bradley all last year.”

While experience guided Dickinson to the lead, inexperience rocked Lofland, a second-year pro.

Lofland, who was 11 when Dickinson joined the tour, was the first to jump in front of the pack at six-under. However, she retreated to three-under for the tournament after failing to shake a case of bad luck.

“I got rattled,” she said.

Lofland’s wedge into No. 3 hit a set of low hanging power lines, and by rule, she was required to replay the shot. It took more than 15 minutes for an LPGA official to confirm the ruling, however, and in the meantime her caddy had replaced the divot on her power-line shot.

The LPGA told Lofland that her caddy’s groundskeeping might result in a two-shot penalty at the end of the day. They said she was supposed to take a drop and replay the shot before replacing the divot.

“I was told when I was all done that because my caddy didn’t step on it or pat down the divot, there was no penalty,” she said. “But I’m kind of bitter about that; I wish I had known what was going on at the time. It was hanging over my head all day.”

Her do-over shot on No. 3 landed in a bunker, and she went on to bogey the hole.

“I was really mad,” Lofland said. “Here I am, I start off and make these two great birdies and I’m playing really well, and I’m all over the pin on the third hole and it hits the wires. It affected me the entire round.”

Like Lofland, Crosby had good reason to become unglued, but then she’s become quite an expert at disaster.

In the first round she was waylaid by a four-putt. In the second round she penalized herself a stroke after her ball rolled before she struck it with her putter. In round three today . . .

“I just have to make sure I get here safely,” Crosby said. “These things come in threes, unfortunately.”

Not everyone, however, overcame disaster. The field of 144 was cut to 71 at four-over 148, and still includes Davies, the defending champion, at 145. Only 15 players remain below par.

Barb Thomas, who was tied for the first-round lead after carding a 69, swooned with a second-round 77 to finish at 146 along with Mary Murphy (70-76) and Dawn Coe (70-76), the leading money-winner on the tour this season.

Val Skinner added a 74 to her first-day 69, and Donna Andrews struggled home with a 77 after an opening 69.

Mackall moved into contention with a 67, matching Dale Eggeling for low round of the day. Eggeling tops a group of four at 142, which includes Helen Alfredson (70-72), nancy Ramsbottom (71-71) and Sherri Turner (71-71).

“I love the weekend,” Mallon said. “It’s like starting all over again.”