Surprising Finish for Nicklaus

The collapse was so rare, so completely out of character, that even Jack Nicklaus was surprised.

Nicklaus started the back nine with three bogeys to waste a two-stroke lead Saturday, opening the door to a four-way tie after three rounds of the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich.

“I had a chance to run away and hide, and I didn’t do it,” Nicklaus said.

Nicklaus, starting the round a stroke behind second-round leader Larry Gilbert, shot an even-par 72 for 208 over the 6,876-yard Tournament Players Club of Michigan, which he designed.

As a result, Gilbert, two-time champion Dave Stockton, South African John Bland and Bob Dickson shared the lead, each at nine-under 207, a shot better than Nicklaus. Gilbert also shot 72 while Stockton, Bland and Dickson each had 69s.

“This is just a tough golf course,” said Dave Stockton, who won the championship in 1992 and 1994. “I mean, Nicklaus got to 11 under, then something happened to him.”

Nicklaus was in a four-way tie with Australian Graham Marsh, winner of the U.S. Senior Open two weeks ago at Olympia Fields, Ill.; Steve Veriato, a senior tour rookie; and Australian Bob Charles. Marsh, Veriato and Charles shot 69s.

Nicklaus started at eight-under 136, a stroke behind Gilbert. A bogey-free front nine that included three birdies left him 11 under at the turn and two strokes ahead.

But things changed quickly on the homeward side.

“Things were looking very easy, not too much of a problem,” Nicklaus said. “Then I proceeded to bogey the next three holes without really missing a shot.”

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Brad Fabel, playing in his 318th PGA Tour event, has a good chance for the first victory of his 13-year career.

He shot a five-under 65 to go 10 under for the tournament, tying David Toms for the lead after three rounds of the Quad City Classic at Coal Valley, Ill. Toms shot a 67.

“Basically, I tried to stay out of my own way,” said Fabel, who birdied six of the first seven holes on the back nine.

Frank Lickliter, Robert Gamez, Russ Cochran and Brandel Chamblee were one stroke back at nine-under 201.

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Tom Lehman tuned up for next week’s defense of the British Open with a five-stroke victory in the Gulfstream World Invitational at Loch Lomond, Scotland.

Carding a final round 67 for a 19-under total of 265, Lehman collected a winner’s check for $224,000, five days before he defends the British Open at Troon.

“To win in Scotland against the field that we had, to shoot 19 under on a golf course like this makes you feel ecstatic,” Lehman said.

U.S. Open winner Ernie Els was second after a 66 left him 14 under at 270. Greg Norman shot a 68 for 271.