Uresti Blows Into Bay Hill Lead

A stiff breeze toned down the scoring but bunched up the field Saturday at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, Fla., leaving Omar Uresti in front by one stroke after a three-under-par 69.

Uresti birdied the last two holes to get to 11-under 205 through three rounds at Bay Hill Club.

Right behind is Mark O’Meara, who already has won twice this year and leads the money list. He shot a 68 and is joined at 10-under 206 by last week’s Honda Classic winner Stuart Appleby and Tim Herron.

Uresti held his own most of the day while playing in the final group on the weekend for the first time on the PGA Tour.

“Today was pretty relaxing,” Uresti said.

Skip Kendall, the midway leader, bogeyed the first three holes and finished with a 79.

Arnold Palmer, 14 over for the tournament, decided against returning to the course to complete the last three holes of his second round Saturday morning.

Palmer felt tired and didn’t see the need to push it in his comeback from prostate surgery.

“I’d feel better if I was hitting the ball,” Palmer said. “But at least I’m still looking down at the grass.”

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John Bland and Graham Marsh teamed for an eight-under 64 and took a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Legends of Golf senior tournament in La Quinta.

The teams of Dave Stockton and AL Geiberger, Gibby Gilbert and J.C. Snead, and Hubert Green and Gil Morgan all fired nine-under 63s to pull into a tie with Don January and Gene Littler at 128, 16 under after two days of the three-day event.

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Barb Mucha rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to salvage a roller-coaster 73 and tie Kelly Robbins for the lead after the third round of the LPGA Standard Register Ping in Phoenix.

Mucha and Robbins, the second-round co-leaders, are at 11-under 208.

One shot back were Australia’s Karrie Webb and three-time defending champion Laura Davies.