Four hold Houston lead
Rain and darkness delay third round
Patrick Sheehan birdied his first hole of the third round yesterday to move into a four-way tie for the lead in the rain-delayed Houston Open in Humble, Texas.
The Providence player was tied with rookie Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker, and Steve Lowery at 5 under par when play was suspended because of darkness.
Sheehan completed only No. 1 at the Redstone Golf Club, and his co-leaders had just teed off when tournament officials called a halt because of darkness.
The round didn't begin until late afternoon after a rain delay of more than seven hours. Play was scheduled to resume at 8:30 a.m. today with the fourth round to follow as conditions allow. PGA Tour officials said the event could be extended to tomorrow.
"Playing 36 holes, if that's what we have to do, you just go to the next round and that's a little bit of a pressure-free situation," said Lowery, who closed out the second round Friday with three birdies to grab a share of the lead. "You're in the middle of a round. You don't sleep on it. You just go ahead and play. I just think it's whoever gets the momentum tomorrow." Lowery, who has made the cut in seven of 10 events this year, has only one top-25 finish, a tie for 15th last month at Bay Hill. The 43-year-old has won twice on the Tour but not since 2000.
Johnson, who won the
Champions -- Gil Morgan had his 23d straight round of par or better, shooting a 4-under 68 to keep a one-stroke lead over Hale Irwin and Dave Barr at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Morgan was at 11-under 133, and Irwin and Barr matched the leader's 68 to move to 134 heading into the final round at The Club at Savannah Harbor in Savannah, Ga.
Craig Stadler, seeking his second Champions Tour win of the season, stumbled down the stretch, finishing with 68 for 135. He was tied with Gary Koch (67). The team of Bob Charles and Stewart Ginn won the Raphael Division team title by one stroke over the teams of Frank Beard and Jimmy Powell and Mike Hill and Lee Trevino. Charles and Ginn were at 18-under 126 in the two-day, better-ball competition.
Nationwide -- Ahmad Bateman had a one-stroke lead over D.J. Trahan and Paul Gow when play was suspended with 46 players still playing the third round of the Rheem Classic at Hardscrabble Country Club in Fort Smith, Ark. Bateman's 4-under 66 gave him a 204 total for three rounds.
European -- David Park's lead at the Spanish Open was cut to one stroke after Ricardo Gonzalez shot a 6-under 64 in the third round in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands. Park entered the day with a four-stroke lead, and the Welshman shot a 71 that left him at 10-under 200.
