Golf Roundup : Sluman Leads by a Stroke as Crenshaw, Lietzke Falter

Jeff Sluman handled the pressure Saturday, while veterans Ben Crenshaw and Bruce Lietzke had their problems, and moved into position to win his first PGA Tour event.

“It’s a nice feeling, but I won’t dwell on it,” Sluman said after his three-under-par 67 gave him the lead in the third round of the $750,000 Byron Nelson golf tournament at Irving, Tex.

Sluman, a non-winner on the tour, was at 200, one shot ahead of Crenshaw and Lietzke.

Crenshaw, the second-round leader and Sluman’s playing partner, bogeyed three of the last five holes and had a 70.

Lietzke, the 1981 champion, had a chance to finish the day on top but three-putted the last green and settled for a 66.

Paul Azinger, who needed only 25 putts, shot a 63, one stroke off the record for the Tournament Players Course at Las Colinas, to move into contention at 204.

“It was a day when everything went in,” Azinger said. “I was thinking about a 59 after I made a 40-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole. A 59 (the PGA Tour record) was very achievable. However, I parred in from that point.”

Nancy Lopez, seeking her third victory of the year, shot a two-under-par 70 for a one-stroke lead over Alice Ritzman after two rounds of the $250,000 Chrysler-Plymouth tournament at Middletown, N.J.

Lopez had four birdies and two bogeys on the 6,232-yard Navesink Country Club Course and was at 138.

Ritzman, who has not won since joining the LPGA tour in 1978, had a wild round of 71 that included five birdies, four bogeys and three par-saving putts from at least 15 feet.

Marta Figueras-Dotti of Spain was two shots behind Lopez after a round of 70.

Two-time U.S. Amateur champion Kay Cockerill made a run at the leaders, going four under par after 12 holes, but the rookie bogeyed two of the final six holes and was at 142 after her 70.

Bruce Crampton shot a five-under-par 65 for a one-stroke lead entering the final round of the $225,000 United Hospitals PGA Seniors tournament at Malvern, Pa.

Crampton’s 36-hole total of 136 moved him just ahead of Billy Casper and Lou Graham, each of whom birdied the final five holes to finish with 67s and 137 totals.

Miller Barber shot a 66 for a 138, tying him with Lee Elder, who had a 68.

Quinton Gray, who led after shooting an opening-round 67, double-bogeyed both the sixth and seventh holes on his way to a 78 and a 145.

Mark James, a three-time Ryder Cup player from England in search of his first victory in two years, shot his second 63 of the tournament to take a three-stroke lead with a 194 after three rounds of the $330,000 Spanish Open at Santander, Spain.

Severiano Ballesteros playing on his hometown course, shot a 70 that put him at 206.