GOLF : Love Loses His Cool, Not His Lead

After a brush with a double bogey and an unhappy experience with a photographer, Davis Love III staggered in with a two-stroke lead Saturday after three rounds of the Hawaiian Open.

“I just totally lost my composure,” Love said. “I’m lucky to get in at all.”

Love, who took the lead with a spectacular 60 in the second round, could manage only a 71 for his next trip over the Waialae Country Club course. He will take a 199 total, 17 under par, into today’s final round in the chase for a $216,000 first prize.

“Yesterday, everything went right,” Love said of the 12-under-par effort. “Today, everything went the other way.

“I’ve just got to put both out of my mind, all the bad stuff today, all the good stuff yesterday, and just go play golf.”

Australian Brett Ogle, once six shots off the pace, was second at 201 after a four-under-par 68. Tom Lehman was next at 203 with a 68 and Jeff Maggert, also with a 68, followed at 204.

Ogle got a three-shot swing on the 15th, a 15-foot birdie against Love’s double bogey.

Then, on the par-three 17th, Love said a camera snapped on his backswing and he jerked the shot into a bunker.

Before the ball found the sand, however, Love swung around and pointed a finger at a Japanese photographer.

“I was angry then and I’m angry now,” Love said.