Els Falters but Still Holds Big Lead

Ernie Els found it hard going in the latter stages of his round Saturday. Still, he emerged with a tournament record and a comfortable lead in The International at Castle Rock, Colo.

Despite faltering down the stretch with two bogeys over his last five holes, Els rode the strength of four early birdies to carry an eight-point lead into today’s final round.

“I felt like I was out there forever,” Els said. “What did it take, 5 1/2 hours? Everything was kind of OK until I got to the 14th tee, when we waited 15 to 20 minutes and a weird wind came up. I just didn’t play well coming in.”

Els, who began the third round with a six-point lead over Stuart Appleby, had six points Saturday for a total of 40, eclipsing the previous 54-hole record of 39 shared by Phil Mickelson and David Toms.

Mickelson and Greg Norman were eight points back at 32 under the modified Stableford scoring system used in this event.

The scoring system awards a player five points for an eagle, two for a birdie, zero for a par, minus-one for a bogey and minus-three for a double bogey or worse.

For the first time in three days, weather did not intervene. Lightning caused suspensions of play Thursday and Friday, forcing 72 players to conclude their first rounds Friday morning and 51 to finish their second rounds Saturday morning.

Tiger Woods, citing the need to rest before the PGA Championship, skipped this event. David Duval, the world’s third-ranked player, withdrew Thursday because of a lingering back injury. Tom Lehman, tied for fourth after the second round, withdrew Saturday because of an injured right leg.

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Lorie Kane fired a six-under-par 66 to take the lead after the second round of the LPGA Michelob Light Classic at Eureka, Mo. Kane, who has yet to win on the tour, played her second bogey-free round at Fox Run Golf Club to put her at 10 under for the tournament and give her a two-shot lead over Rosie Jones. Kane had six birdies, highlighted by a chip from the fringe on the 18th hole. Kane is the only player in the field without a bogey through two rounds of the 54-hole event.

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Ed Dougherty shot a six-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round in the Coldwell Banker Burnet Classic at Coon Rapids, Minn. Dougherty, a four-time runner-up last year, has put himself in position for his first senior victory. He has had 14 birdies and only one bogey in shooting a two-round total of 131 en route to a 36-hole tournament record of 13 under.

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Lisa Ferrero, 17, of Lodi, defeated Ina Kim, 16, of Encino, 3 and 1, to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at North Plains, Ore.