GOLF ROUNDUP

Wind keeps Stadler, others close

AVONDALE, La. - After taking advantage of benign conditions early Saturday morning, Kevin Stadler downplayed his chances of climbing back into contention at the Zurich Class, predicting he would end the day more than five shots out of the lead.

But gusty afternoon wind resulted in higher scores and brought Stadler and several others within striking distance at TPC Louisiana.

Lucas Glover survived those blustery conditions and birdied the 18th hole to increase his lead to two strokes to remain in position for his first victory in two years, though his wife is expecting the couple’s daughter at any time and he said he would immediately leave if he received a call that she is goinginto labor.

The 2009 U.S. Open winner shot a 2-under-par 70 to reach 14 under.

“Some windier conditions than expected,” Glover said. “But started up one, now I’m up two, so can’t be too upset. The good stuff is still there.”

Kyle Stanley, Jimmy Walker, Billy Horschel and D.A. Points were tied for second. Stanley had a 65, Walker and Horschel shot 66, and Points had a 70.

Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a 4-under 68 and moved into a tie for 11th place. Duke is at 9-under 207 for the tournament.

“Not much going on out there, not a lot of wind,” said Stanley, who teed off more than two hours before the leaders when conditions were still calm. “So you could pretty much take dead aim and hit a lot of pins.”

Stadler tied Stanley for low round of the day with a 65 and was three strokes back at 11 under.

Ten players were within four shots of the lead and 16 within five.

“It was there for the taking today,” Stadler said.

Guan Tianlang, the 14-yearold Chinese amateur, shot a 77 to drop to 2 over - last among the 71 players who made the cut. He tied for 58th two weeks ago in the Masters after becoming the youngest player to make the cut at Augusta National, and will play in a U.S. Open qualifier in two weeks in Dallas.

“I didn’t do pretty good,” Tianlang said. “It was not a very good round.”

Boo Weekley, a stroke behind Glover entering the round, salvaged a 73 with a two-putt birdie on the 18th to finish at 10 under.

“I was a little off,” Weekley said. “I had some good looks early in the round and just kind of got down on myself with the putter.”

Ernie Els, who entered the day in a tie for fifth, also shot 72 to drop to a tie for 17th at 8 under.

Bubba Watson was 6 under after a 72.

Glover birdied the eighth and ninth holes to get to 14 under, and opened a threestroke lead at 15 under with a short birdie putt on the par-5 11th. But he failed to make par from the fringe on the par-3 14th to drop back to 14 under. He missed a 10-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole and tapped in for birdie.

“It’s always nice to close with a birdie,” Glover said. “I would have liked to have had one better, but that was a pretty average putt.”

The players will be grouped in threesomes and will tee off early because of expected stormy weather today on the course already softened by heavy rain Wednesday.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Chapman, Blake lead

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Roger Chapman and Jay Don Blake shot an 11-under-par 61 in the second round of the Champion’s Tour better-ball tournament to take a one shot lead.

Chapman and Blake are 17-under for the tournament.

Five teams, including 18-hole leaders Brad Faxon and Jeff Sluman, are a shot back. Eighteen more twosomes are within five shots of the lead. Peter Jacobsen and D.A. Weibring are three shots off the lead.

Picking up on the positive vibes of Jacobsen, who birdied six of his first eight holes, Chapman and Blake had a huge day.

“We just kept hanging in there and were able to build off the momentum of Jacobsen,” Blake said.

Blake and Chapman had a bogey-free round, with Chapman taking a cue from Jacobsen and leading a birdie binge on the second nine. He made birdie putts on six consecutive holes to start the second nine and Blake holed out from a green side bunker for a birdie on No. 8, their 17th hole of the day after starting the round on No. 10.

Blake and Chapman is attempting to win the Legends of Golf in their first year playing together. Blake made his first Legends appearance last year, teaming with Fred Funk and finishing in a tie for 25th. Chapman, meanwhile, is making his Legends debut, coming off a breakout 2012 season in which he won two senior majors.

Several big names are giving chase. Champions Tour points leader Bernhard Langer and partner Tom Lehman are a shot back, as is the team of Tom Watson and Andy North, Craig Stadler and Jeff Triplett, and Scott Hoch and Jim Gallagher Jr.

Langer and Lehman just missed claiming a share of the lead. Both slid birdie putts past the cup at No. 18.

LPGA

Ciganda ahead by two

IRVING, Texas - Carlota Ciganda shot a 5-under-par 66 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over the world’s No. 1 player and an LPGA Tour rookie into the final round of the inaugural North Texas LPGA Shootout.

Ciganda had only one bogey in the third round. Even after driving left into a concrete drainage ditch on No. 12, the Spaniard hit the half-submerged ball out of the water to about 10 feet and made the birdie putt. She was at 11-under 202 after her second 66 of the week.

Top-ranked Inbee Park finished her 67 with consecutive birdies. Caroline Masson, the leader after each of the first two rounds, recovered from an opening double bogey for a 69.

Na Yeon Choi, the No. 3 player, was 8 under after a bogey-free 66.

Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 2-under 69 and is in a tie for 26th place. She is at 211 for the tournament and nine shots in back of the leader.

WEB.COM TOUR Wilcox fires a 63

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Will Wilcox fired a 9-under-par 63 Saturday and leads the South Georgia Classic by seven strokes heading into today’s final round.

Wilcox is at 16 under after three rounds and leads Ryan Spears, D.J. Brigman and Michael Putnam, who are all at 9 under for the tournament.

Ron Whittaker (Little Rock) shot a 1-under 71 and is 3 under for the tournament. John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 4 over 76 and is at 4 over 220, which is good enough for 61st place.

EUROPEAN TOUR Noren leads by one

SEOUL, South Korea - Alex Noren of Sweden leads by one stroke at the Ballantine’s Championship after shooting a 3-under-par 69 in the third round following his earlier 67 in the rain-delayed second round Saturday.

After two days of delays, the event got back on track despite the cold and windy conditions at the Blackstone Course.

Sports, Pages 34 on 04/28/2013

Upcoming Events