International Field Still Chasing Toms

David Toms withstood the best golf’s heavyweights could throw at him and maintained his lead Saturday after three rounds of the Sprint International at Castle Rock, Colo.

Toms, who began the day with a three-point lead over Paul Goydos but with David Duval, Ernie Els and Steve Elkington in close pursuit, finished with 39 points.

Duval birdied six of his last 11 holes and had 36 points, matching the total of Stephen Ames of Canada.

Els had 32 points, along with 19-year-old Spanish sensation Sergio Garcia.

“I wasn’t watching the [leader] boards,” said Toms, who tied the tournament’s 54-hole record set by Phil Mickelson in 1997.

Toms, leading for the third straight day, birdied four of his first eight holes to push his total to 37 points under the scoring system used in this event.

Newly crowned PGA champion Tiger Woods double bogeyed the final hole and, with only 18 points, missed the cut.

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Colin Montgomerie took a one-stroke lead over Padraig Harrington of Ireland at the BMW Open in Munich, Germany.

Montgomerie shot a seven-under 65 and was at 18-under 198. Harrington, who shot a 66, needs a top-two finish at the final qualifying event to jump past several golfers and make the European Ryder Cup team that will be announced today.

One who will not be playing in the matches next month at Brookline, Mass., is England’s Nick Faldo, whose 11 consecutive appearances and 23 match wins dating to 1977 are Ryder Cup records. Europe team captain Mark James informed Faldo he will not be one of his two at-large picks.

“I bumped into Mark in the hotel last night and asked him--he said I was too far down the ladder,” a dejected Faldo said.

Ian Woosnam, boosting his bid to be one of the captain’s picks, shot a 68 and is tied for third.

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George Archer had six birdies on the front nine and Hale Irwin had four on the back as the two moved into a tie for the lead with Jay Sigel after two rounds of the Senior PGA Tour BankBoston Classic.

The leaders stand at seven-under 137 after two rounds over the 6,773-yard Nashawtuc Country Club course in Concord, Mass.

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Akiko Fukushima and Nancy Scranton each shot two-under 70 and shared a one-stroke lead at seven-under 137 heading into the final round of the Firstar LPGA Classic at Beavercreek, Ohio.

In Front

Leaders through Saturday’s play (Complete scores, Page 12):

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PGA SPRINT INTERNATIONAL

Scoring under modified Stableford system (8 points for double eagle, 5 for eagle, 2 for birdie, zero for par, minus-1 for bogey and minus-3 for double bogey or worse):

David Toms: 16-13-10--39

Stephen Ames: 11-12-13--36

David Duval: 10-15-11--36

Sergio Garcia: 5-16-11--32

Ernie Els: 10-14-8--32

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FIRSTAR LPGA CLASSIC--Par 72

Nancy Scranton: 67-70--137 -7

Akiko Fukushima: 67-70--137 -7

Kris Monaghan: 68-70--138 -6

Hiromi Kobayashi: 68-70--138 -6

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SENIORS BANKBOSTON CLASSIC--Par 72

George Archer: 71-66--137 -7

Hale Irwin: 69-68--137 -7

Jay Sigel: 67-70--137 -7

Hugh Baiocchi: 71-67--138 -6

Tom McGinnis: 69-69--138 -6

John Bland: 69-69--138 -6