Kite and Baiocchi Top Players

Tom Kite shot a four-under-par 68 on Friday to tie South African Hugh Baiocchi for the lead at 10-under 134 after two rounds of the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich.

They were two strokes ahead of defending champion Hale Irwin, who birdied the final two holes after two rain delays for a 68, and Dana Quigley, who eagled two of the first seven holes in a 65.

Dave Stockton, the winner in 1992 and 1994, was tied with Brian Barnes, Simon Hobday and Jesse Patino at 137.

Kite, in his first year on the senior circuit, is seeking his third victory and his second in a major.

“I’m pleased with a four under, but I felt like I left a lot of good putts out there today,” Kite said. “I had a chance to go much lower.”

Baiocchi, who started the day tied for the lead at 65 with John Jacobs and Bruce Fleisher, managed to control his putter as well as his temper for a second-round 69.

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Loren Roberts, the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open champion and the event’s career money leader, shot a five-under 66 for an 11-under 131 total and a share of the second-round lead with Frank Lickliter.

Lickliter also had a 66.

Franklin Langham and J.P. Hayes were one stroke back after 66s, while 24 players were at six under or better. Among the four players two strokes off the lead was Corey Pavin, the 1995 U.S. Open champion who hasn’t won on tour in four years. He shot a 68.

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Allison Finney, whose only LPGA Tour victory came in 1989 and whose best finish this year was a tie for 32nd, finished a five-under 66 with a 30-foot birdie putt to take a one-stroke lead over Annika Sorenstam after two rounds of the Big Apple Classic at New Rochelle, N.Y.

Finney had a 36-hole total of nine-under 133. The last of her six second-round birdies came in near darkness as play was delayed by a thunderstorm for 1 hour, 40 minutes. Sorenstam finished her 65 just minutes before the siren sounded for the weather delay at Wykagyl Country Club.

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Notah Begay and Tom Lehman shot three-under 68s to join Ernie Els in the third-round lead of the Loch Lomond invitational at Glasgow, Scotland, a warmup for next week’s British Open.

They were at eight-under 205, a stroke ahead of defending champion Colin Montgomerie, who moved into contention with a 68; Nick Faldo, who had a 70; and South African Retief Goosen, who led briefly during a round of 69.