Scherrer Has Lead at Tucson

Tom Scherrer belied his inexperience as a front-runner Saturday, shooting a four-under-par 68 to remain in the lead in the Tucson Open with one round to play.

Scherrer’s third-round road to 17-under 199 included his only bogey of the tournament.

With the leaderboard clogged with non-winners, he was able to make back the ground he lost and hold off charges by Stephen Ames, whose 64 matched the best score of the event, and Ted Purdy, who shot 66 in the third round.

Both were a shot off the lead.

Jonathan Kaye was alone at 201, and France’s Jean Van de Velde, last year’s British Open runner-up, was at 202. Both shot 65s.

At 203 were Steve Jones, Steve Flesch, Jim Carter and Len Mattiace. Jones, whose eight titles include the 1996 U.S. Open, is the only one of the top nine to win on tour.

Scherrer had never had sole possession of a lead until Friday’s 66 opened a two-stroke gap over Tom Byrum and Mike Springer. He found himself in a three-way tie with Ames and Purdy early on the back nine.

He recovered from his bogey at No. 11 with a 10-foot birdie putt on the next hole, and separated himself from his pursuers with a 23-footer on No. 15.

*

Bruce Summerhays retained his three-shot lead after the second round of the Senior PGA LiquidGolf.com Invitational at Sarasota, Fla.

Summerhays, 56, birdied the final hole to complete a three-under 69 for a 13-under 131 total, breaking Larry Nelson’s 36-hole tournament record by a shot. On Friday, Summerhays fired a course-record 62.

Tom Wargo, Monday qualifier Bob Ralston, Gary McCord and Jerry McGee were three shots behind at 134.

*

Lorie Kane of Canada and Laura Davies of Britain did the most on the course, grabbing a share of the lead at 12-under 204 after three rounds of the Australian Ladies Masters tournament at Gold Coast. But Australia’s Karrie Webb, trailing by two strokes, made the most noise off of it after the third round.

After bogeying the last hole to finish the round with a 70, Webb stormed from the course, raging at caddie Evan Minster.

“I think Evan and I picked one good club all day,” Webb said.

After Webb put her approach shot through the back of the 17th green, she turned around and stared at Minster.

Asked if Minster would remain her caddie in the final round, Webb said, “I’m not blaming him.”

Kane moved into a tie for the lead with a flawless five-under 67. Davies, a two-time Masters winner, finished with a 69.