GOLF ROUNDUP : A Year Later, Rhyan’s 64 Ties Record

Dick Rhyan celebrated a year he almost didn’t have Saturday by shooting an eight-under-par 64 in the Ameritech Senior Open golf tournament at Aurora, Ill.

Rhyan equaled the Stonebridge Country Club record shared by Chi Chi Rodriguez, Dick Hendrickson and Bob Charles, moving to nine-under-par 135 through 36 holes, two strokes behind George Archer and in a three-way tie for second with Jim Colbert and Simon Hobday.

Archer had a 66 Saturday.

A year ago Saturday, during the Ameritech, Rhyan suffered a heart attack.

“It was kind of emotional coming back here. There were a lot of people pulling for me and saying ‘Good to see you back,’ ” Rhyan said. “I made a lot of putts and put myself in a situation to be in the hunt tomorrow.”

After opening with a 74 last year, Rhyan returned to his hotel room, where he felt a sharp pain in his chest and left arm. He went to Edward Hospital in nearby Naperville and learned he had suffered a heart attack.

Rhyan remained in intensive care and three days later had angioplasty to clear a blocked artery.

“My attitude has changed a lot,” Rhyan said. “You learn to live one moment at a time. All of a sudden you know you don’t have control of your life.”

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Betsy King shot a three-under-par 68 and built a one-shot lead over Japan’s Hiromi Kobayashi after 54 holes of the JAL Big Apple Classic women’s tournament in New Rochelle, N.Y.

King completed three rounds over the 6,109-yard, par-71 Wykagyl Country Club course in 208.

The Big Apple Classics of 1990 and 1991 account for two of King’s 28 victories, two shy of qualifying her for the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Kobayashi, who won seven tournaments in Japan before joining the LPGA tour in 1990, shot a 69 and was at 209.

Rosie Jones, with a 68, was at 211, one stroke better than Jan Stephenson, who had a 68, and Mary Ann Zimmerman, who shot 69.

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David Berganio of Sylmar took a five-hole lead after 27 holes on the way to beating Brandon Knight of Argyle, Tex., 2 and 1, to win the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Riverdale Dunes in Brighton, Colo.

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Todd Demsey of Rancho Santa Fe shot a six-under-par 66 at Brentwood Country Club for a 212 total and a two-shot lead after three rounds of the 94th annual Southern California Golf Assn. Amateur Championship.