GOLF ROUNDUP : Mize Has Windy 67 to Take Lead

The strong, gusty winds common to south Florida but missing for almost two weeks returned Friday and scrambled the standings in the $1.1-million Honda Classic at Ft. Lauderdale.

Larry Mize relied on his putter as the principal weapon in a bogey-free 67 that gave him a one-stroke lead over three players at the tournament’s halfway point.

“You have to putt well to play well when the wind blows like this,” Mize said, “because nobody is going to hit all the greens.”

Mize, who completed two rounds in 136, eight under par on the Weston Hills Country Club course, played during the morning before the winds reached full, 30-m.p.h. velocity.

Fred Couples, who played in the afternoon, shot 73 and was one back. He shot 64 under calm conditions Thursday.

Couples was tied for second with Dick Mast and South African David Frost, each of whom shot 69 in what Frost called “a two-club wind.”

Australian Craig Parry, with a 71, and Billy Andrade, who shot 68 in the worst of the winds, were tied at 138.

Jack Nicklaus watched the winds take three balls into the water over the back nine. He played that side in 43, had an 80 for the day and failed to make the cut with a 153 total. His 24-year-old son Gary made the cut for the second week in a row at 76-145.

Tiger Woods shot 72-78 and missed the cut.

Dave Stockton shot a two-under-par 70 in cold, windy conditions to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the $650,000 Vantage at The Dominion PGA Senior tournament in San Antonio.

Stockton, 51, had three birdies and a bogey on the 6,814-yard, par-72 course.

The conditions, with temperatures in the low 40s and the winds over 20 m.p.h., brought the scoring average to 77.

Gibby Gilbert and J.C. Snead were tied for second at 71. Tom Weiskopf, Gay Brewer and Bob Murphy shot 72.

Two-time defending champion Lee Trevino, who underwent thumb surgery in December, withdrew before the round.

Meg Mallon birdied three of the four par-fives and eagled the other one on the Randolph Park North course in Tucson, giving her a two-shot lead in the $400,000 Ping-Welch’s Championship.

Mallon’s six-under-par 66, coupled with Thursday’s 67, left her at 11-under 133.

Muffin Spencer-Devlin’s 66 left her in second at 135. Nancy Lopez and Jane Crafter were three shots back at 136, with Juli Inkster and Betsy King at 137.

Anne-Marie Palli made the cut even though her approach shot to the ninth green dropped into the water after killing a duck flying across the 6,187-yard municipal course.

“I’m not very good with a gun, but I’m hot with a wedge,” said Palli, who was penalized two strokes for a lost ball and settled for a 73.