Nicklaus Has Nowhere to Hide After a Very Unlikely Collapse

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.”

He missed a 10-foot par putt on No. 10, his only three-putt green of the week. His approach to No. 11 was short, rolling down a steep bank. That dropped him back to nine under and locked in a four-way tie at the time with Gilbert, Bland and the hard-charging Veriato.

The trouble continued at the par-three 12th when his tee shot rolled back down into a collection area, leading to a third consecutive bogey. He missed a chance to turn things around when a five-foot putt for birdie lipped out on No. 13.

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Brad Fabel, playing in his 318th PGA Tour event, has a good chance for the first victory of a career that started in 1984.

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. “I tried to pick the right club and not force anything to happen. Just set up and swing.”

Frank Lickliter, Robert Gamez, Russ Cochran and Brandel Chamblee were one stroke back at nine-under 201. Five others--Keith Fergus, Scott Verplank, Brad Sutterfield, Eric Johnson and Craig Bowden--were two behind the leaders.

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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.

“Any time you win it’s special,” Lehman said. “To win in Scotland against the field that we had, to shoot 19 under on a golf course like this makes you feel ecstatic. There’s nothing like winning to build confidence.”

In a high-quality field, U.S. Open titlist Ernie Els was second after a 66 left him 14 under at 270. Greg Norman finished with a 68 for a 271. Retief Goosen shot a course-record 62 to finish third.