GOLF ROUNDUP : Davies Overtakes Robbins for LPGA lead

Laura Davies, the defending champion, shot a two-under-par 69 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Kelly Robbins after three rounds of the $1.2-million LPGA Championship at Wilmington, Del.

Davies had five birdies, including four on the back nine, for an eight-under 205 total. Her late charge was blunted by a double-bogey on 18.

“It’s a shame about that double-bogey, but I played the hole sensibly. It just didn’t work out,” Davies said. “A three-shot lead sounds nice, but then everyone would think I should win. This takes the pressure off.”

Robbins, who held the lead after each of the first two rounds, shot a 72. Patty Sheehan also had a 72 for a 207 total and remained in contention during a year in which she has not finished better than 22nd in seven events.

Sheehan had a wild round, playing the first three holes in par-bogey-double bogey. She birdied on Nos. 5, 7 and 9 to take the lead at the turn, then had four consecutive pars before sinking a four-foot birdie putt on 14 to move to eight under.

But she bogeyed 15 and 17 and failed to break par for the first time this week. She is trying to win her fourth LPGA Championship.

Davies and Robbins, two of the game’s longest hitters, will be paired in today’s final round for a second consecutive week. They finished in a second-place tie last Sunday in the Sara Lee Classic.

“We’ll just have some fun again,” Davies said. “I’ll be out there watching her with the rest of the gallery.”

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South African Ernie Els followed a 61 with a five-under-par 65 and opened up a three-shot lead in the third round of the $1.3-million GTE-Byron Nelson Classic at Irving, Tex.

Els, the U.S. Open champion, completed 54 holes at 195, 15 under par. Only a bogey on the 17th hole--his first in 42 holes--kept Els from matching the tour scoring record of 125 for consecutive rounds.

“I haven’t played this well in a long time,” Els said.

Robin Freeman was second at 198 and Fuzzy Zoeller, the 43-year-old veteran who had four runner-up finishes last year, and first-round leader Glen Day were next at 199. Zoeller shot 64, despite chronic back problems, and Day shot 67.

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George Archer had the best back nine on the Senior PGA Tour this year with a six-under-par 30, taking a one-stroke lead over Lee Trevino after two rounds of the Cadillac NFL Golf Classic at Clifton, N.J.

“I didn’t play badly on the front nine, but on the back nine everything was clicking,” Archer said.

Archer and Trevino had rounds of six-under 66 on the Upper Montclair Country Club course.

“I’m not going to go into tomorrow’s round with a hell of a lot of confidence, but it could happen,” said Trevino, who has 24 victories on the senior tour.

“That’s a crock,” Archer said. “You don’t win as many tournaments as Lee Trevino without rising to the occasion.”

Actually, Archer and Trevino will have to beat a lot of people who know how to win. Eleven players were within four shots of Archer’s nine-under-par 135 heading into today’s final round.

Dave Stockton and Isao Aoki were two shots off the pace and one ahead of first-round leader Bob Murphy, defending champion Ray Floyd, Larry Ziegler and Al Geiberger.