GOLF ROUNDUP : Bogey-Free 66 Gives Mallon Two-Shot Lead

After the first round of the 50th U.S. Women’s Open at Colorado Springs, Colo., 18 players were under par. After the second round, there were 12. After the third round, only three.

“Welcome to the U.S. Open,” said Meg Mallon, one of the lucky survivors after 54 holes. “It happened with the men. It happens with everybody. It’s just the nature of the Open, and the USGA is smiling. Their idea of a perfect U.S. Open is to shoot even par and win.”

But Mallon had a nearly flawless, bogey-free 66 on Saturday for a 54-hole total of five-under-par 205, bettering the Open record of 206 set by Patty Sheehan last year.

Two strokes back was Julie Larsen, who birdied three of her last six holes for a 68 and a 207 total. Larsen posted her first LPGA victory five weeks ago.

The only other sub-par total belonged to Rosie Jones, who was at 209 after an even-par 70.

“That’s the way you’re supposed to play a U.S. Open--hit fairways, hit greens and put the ball in the right position on the greens,” said Mallon, 32.

Mallon, the 1991 Open champion, sank a 12-foot birdie putt at No. 13 to get to four-under. Mallon gained another shot on par at the 17th, hitting a 60-yard pitch to three feet and making that birdie putt as well.

Weather delays on Friday meant 27 players had to finish their second rounds Saturday morning.

Jean Bartholomew, the overnight leader at three-under through 13 holes of the second round, played her final five holes one over par and then lost seven shot to par during her first seven holes of the third round.

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Jim Carter shot a three-under-par 68, his third consecutive round under 70, and held a one-stroke lead over Jim Gallagher Jr., Blaine McCallister and Ted Tryba after three rounds of the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic at Williamsburg, Va.

But the morning belonged to Curtis Strange, who lives on the grounds of the sprawling Kingsmill Golf Club’s River Course and is easily the crowd favorite. After spending the previous day wondering if he would make the cut, Strange had a 65 and was at 207, four strokes behind Carter.

Strange, buoyed by an ever-growing gallery and the sight of hundreds of Curtis’ Strange Navy faithful on the James River banks of the 16th green and par-three 17th, had seven birdies and one bogey after starting the day even.

Afterward, Strange said he will end a three-year absence by playing the British Open, which starts Thursday at St. Andrews, where Strange owns the course record.

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Wayne Riley withstood a late charge from Nick Faldo and earned his first European tour title with a two-stroke victory in the Scottish Open at Carnoustie. Riley, who started the day five strokes ahead of second-place Faldo, used a conservative approach, shooting a 72 to finish at 12-under-par 276. Faldo carded a 69 to finish at 278.

U.S. amateur champion Tiger Woods shot a final-round 78 to finish at 293 after being tied for 12th going into the final round.