Floyd, Gibson Share the Lead

Ray Floyd won the Masters, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. Fred Gibson won something called the Tobago Open.

Floyd’s all-time winnings on the PGA Tour alone are more than $5 million. Gibson collected a whopping $704.

Floyd still draws large galleries wherever he goes. Gibson is one of those players who send fans scrambling for their pairings sheet.

For one day, though, the careers of the star and the journeyman pro are intertwined.

Floyd and Gibson both shot five-under-par 67s Saturday in the second round of the Ameritech Senior Open and were tied for the lead at seven-under 137 in the $1.3-million tournament at Long Grove, Ill.

“No, but he’s never played with me, either,” Gibson said when asked if he has ever played with Floyd. “So we’ve got something in common.”

Defending champion Hale Irwin had the best round of the day, getting birdies on five of the first nine holes for a six-under 66, leaving him two strokes off the lead. John Mahaffey and Jose Maria Canizares, one of the first-round leaders, were tied with Irwin at five-under 139.

Meanwhile, a caddie was taken to a local hospital after experiencing chest pains.

The caddie, whose name was not released, was checked out by tournament medical personnel. Tournament spokesman Mike Brand said there were no signs of any problem, but added that the caddie was taken to Good Shepherd Hospital in nearby Barrington as a precaution.

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Sherri Steinhauer tied a course record with a 30 on the front nine, then scrambled in for a five-under 66 and a two-shot lead after three rounds of the Japan Airlines Big Apple Classic at New Rochelle, N.Y.

Steinhauer’s 11-under total of 202 led Lorie Kane by two strokes and Juli Inkster by four.

Tina Barrett and Karrie Webb were a stroke further back at six-under 207.

Most of the players spent the round beneath sun umbrellas when they were not playing. Temperatures were in the mid-90s and the heat index exceeded 100.

But no players gave up because of the heat, however, unlike Friday when both Mi Hyun Kim and Caroline Gowan quit their rounds because of heat exhaustion.

Steinhauer’s 30 matched the record for the best nine at the Wykagyl Country Club. It is shared by Colleen Walker (1991), Inkster (1992) and Annika Sorenstam (1997).

*

Hunter Haas defeated Michael Kirk, 4 and 3, in the 36-hole final to win the men’s 74th U.S. Amateur Public Links championship at Alton, Ill.

Haas, a senior-to-be at Oklahoma, earned a berth in next year’s Masters with the victory.

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever accomplished in golf,” said Haas, the 1998 Big 12 Conference champion. “And it’s up there with the best thing I’ve ever done.”

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In Front

Leaders through Saturday’s play (Complete scores, D12):

$1.3-MILLION AMERITECH SENIOR OPEN--PAR 72

Ray Floyd 70-67--137 -7

Fred Gibson 70-67--137 -7

Hale Irwin 73-66--139 -5

John Mahaffey 68-71--139 -5

Jose Maria Canizares 67-72--139 -5

LPGA BIG APPLE CLASSIC--PAR 71

Sherri Steinhauer 68-68-66--202 -11

Lorie Kane 68-68-68--204 -9

Juli Inkster 71-67-68--206 -7

Tina Barrett 67-72-68--207 -6

Karrie Webb 69-67-71--207 -6