GOLF ROUNDUP : Couples Blows Lead, Ireland Wins

Fred Couples squandered a three-stroke lead when his putting deserted him Friday and the United States lost to Ireland, 2-1, at St. Andrews, Scotland, leaving the door to the Dunhill Cup semifinals wide open.

Couples, a member of the U.S. team that won the title last year, was leading Darren Clarke by three strokes until he bogeyed three of the last nine holes. Clarke, who shot 71, won by three.

Earlier, Curtis Strange shot a 74 to beat Paul McGinley by two strokes and Philip Walton of Ireland shot even-par 72 to beat Tom Kite by four.

When Japan beat New Zealand 2-1, all four teams in Group One were tied, and all four had an equal chance of gaining Sunday’s semifinals. In today’s last round-robin matches, the Americans play New Zealand and Ireland plays Japan.

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Rookie Dave Stockton Jr. equaled a PGA Tour record when he made three eagles to grab the lead after the second round at the Disney World tournament at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Stockton eagled the final two holes on his way to an eight-under-par 64 on a breezy afternoon at Eagle Pines, one of three courses used for the event.

He posted a 12-under 132 halfway total to lead Jim Gallagher, Rick Fehr and Glen Day by one stroke.

Stockton, the 26-year-old son of two-time PGA Championship winner Dave Stockton, began his round at the 10th tee, and picked up his first eagle at the par-five 11th, where he made a 25-foot putt.

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Butch Baird and Bob E. Smith each shot seven-under-par 65 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Transamerica PGA Senior tournament at Napa, Calif.

Jay Sigel was at 67 and was followed by the group of Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Jim Dent, Bob Brue and Tommy Aycock. Seven more players were at 69 at the Silverado Country Club course.

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The combined team of Britain and Ireland moved to a one-stroke lead over the United States after the second round of the World Amateur Team championship at La Boulie, France.

Led by Lee James, the current British Amateur champion who fired a six-under-par 66 on the French National course, the combined squad has a 421 total, eight under par.

The United States is one back at 422, a shot ahead of Australia. Todd Demsey of Rancho Santa Fe shot a second-round 69 and Allen Doyle of Lagrange, Ga., had a 70.

But U.S. Amateur champion Tiger Woods slumped to a 75 and John Harris had a 77. Only the top three scores count each day.

Woods, who had four bogeys, left the 18th green limping slightly.

“It’s not my feet; it’s just I hurt my back slightly getting my second shot at 18,” said Woods, the Stanford freshman from Cypress.

“I played just awful. I was looking for my swing like (Thursday) but I never got it back. But that’s OK. These things happen in golf.”