Golf roundup
Crane plods to 2-shot lead at US Bank Championship MILWAUKEE (AP) – When word came that high winds and thunderstorms were on the way, Craig Smith hurried his game at the US Bank Championship on Saturday. Not so Ben Crane.
Crane, a notorious slow player who showed some hustle when he ran between shots to make sure he got his round in before dark Friday night, was on the clock when rains interrupted play for 3 hours, 42 minutes hours at Brown Deer Park on Saturday.
After the restart, Crane finished with a 6-under 64 to take the 54-hole lead at 19-under-par 191, two shots better than playing partner Scott Verplank.
Smith (64) and Kenny Perry (65) were five shots off the lead, tied for third.
“Certainly, you never want to go on the clock. We fell behind today and we had to close the gap,” Crane said. “It’s one of those things that happened. I’m trying to get better at it.”
Dawdler or not, Crane is trying to become the first wire-to-wire winner in Milwaukee since Robert Gamez in 1991. Crane’s only other tour win came at the 2003 BellSouth Classic.
By the time the leaders finished at 8:30 p.m. CDT, fewer than 40 fans were in the gallery on No. 18.
“It’s different,” Crane said. “It was kind of like last night when we were running in the dark.”
Crane retreated to the clubhouse at 16-under through 49 holes, tied with Verplank, who was on the green at No. 13 with Crane and Jeff Sluman.
Smith, who was three shots off the pace when the rains came, said he made the mistake of rushing his shots when he heard another storm was on its way.
“I was trying to play fast and get as far as we could and I didn’t take my time,” said Smith, who missed birdie putts on his last two holes before the delay. “I think everybody wants to get done. When they give you word that in 45 minutes, 80 mph winds are going to be here, I think everybody puts it in high gear.”
Not Crane, whose slow play drew the ire of Rory Sabbatini at the Booz Allen Classic last month.
“Yeah, we were on the clock when the rain delay came,” Verplank said. “It’s bound to happen. I mean, one day Ben is either going to get heavily fined or he’s going to play faster, I guess.
“Ben’s working on it, I think. He’s really a nice guy. And hopefully he’ll work on it again tonight and tomorrow. … He’s deliberate.”
Maybe Smith should have been a little more deliberate himself. He had birdied three of four holes to move to minus-13 when he hurried and paid the price.
“I think everybody wants to get done,” Smith said. “This is getting old. It wasn’t so bad on Thursday, but this is starting to get a little bit old. We want to get done. I think everybody wants to get it done today.”
Senior British Open
ABERDEEN, Scotland – Tom Watson matched the course record at Royal Aberdeen set only hours earlier with a 7-under 64 in mostly calm conditions that gave him a one-shot lead over Craig Stadler going into the final round of the Senior British Open.
Watson was at 3-under 210 and poised to win a British Open title on his fifth links course in Scotland. He won the British Open at Carnoustie, Muirfield and Royal Troon, and the British Open and Senior British Open at Turnberry.
Watson was 4 over to start the third round, but picked up birdies on the third and fifth holes, then made an eagle on the par-5 sixth – his first eagle of the year – and was on his way to the 54-hole lead.
Craig Stadler didn’t get as much out of his round, making a birdie on the par-3 17th for a 1-under 70 that put him at 211 and in the final group with Watson.
Greg Norman also had a 70 and was at even-par 213 with Des Smyth, who had a 68.
Derrick Cooper, a 50-year-old tournament director on the European senior tour, also shot a 64 earlier in the day that enabled him to get into contention.
Evian Masters
EVIAN, France – Paula Creamer won her second LPGA title Saturday at the Evian Masters, beating fellow teenager Michelle Wie and Lorena Ochoa by eight shots.
The 18-year-old Creamer shot a 1-under 71 to finish at 15-under 273. Wie, a 15-year-old amateur, shot a 68 and Ochoa a 69 to tie for second at the $2.5 million event.
The $375,000 prize boosted Creamer to second on the LPGA money list behind Annika Sorenstam, who finished 12 strokes back with a 75.
Canada’s Lorie Kane (71) finished fourth in the select 78-woman field.
Creamer, who won the Sybase Classic two months ago, shot rounds of 68-68-66 to take a seven-shot lead entering the final round and cruised to victory.
“I’ve just had a great week,” Creamer said. “Just the strength of this field and the Evian ensemble makes it huge for me to win here.”
Creamer opened with a bogey, but closed with 11 pars and a birdie over the final 12 holes. She finished with three birdies and two bogeys.
When asked about a rivalry with Wie, Creamer said Sorenstam is the player to beat.
“I don’t really see it as a rivalry,” Creamer said. “We’re all just trying to find our games and play our best golf. I compare myself to the No. 1 player in the world, which is Annika Sorenstam, and I’m not quite there yet.”
Wie had five birdies and one bogey in her solid 68. But she was left regretting the putts and shots that went awry, particularly in the first two days when she shot 75-70.
“It was a good day in some ways,” Wie said. “I didn’t give myself so many chances, but took more of them. But when I think of all the shots I left out there … I’m just pleased how I came back the last two rounds.”
Sorenstam had a double-bogey and five bogeys to offset four birdies.
“It’s been a tough week for me,” she said. “I fought to the end, but nothing worked out as I planned. Particularly my play around the greens. My caddie is as confused as me.”
PC of Europe
ALVESLOHE, Germany – Sweden’s Niclas Fasth shot a 6-under 66 to take the second-round lead at the Players’ Championship of Europe.
Fasth is at 10 under, one shot ahead of Wales’ Bradley Dredge. U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell shot 71 to share third place with Irishman Peter Lawrie (65). Two rounds will be played Sunday after Thursday was rained out.
John Daly shot a 64 to finish four shots off the pace. Daly birdied all four par 5s, chipping in once and within two feet twice before hitting a 4-iron within inches.
“A dream round that could not have been any better,” he said.
Fasth, a member of Europe’s Ryder Cup-winning team in 2002, birdied five of his last seven holes.
“I played absolutely fantastic on the front nine, but just didn’t get the scoring going,” Fasth said. “Then I got close at 10 and 11 and missed the putts.”
Dredge rolled in a 60-foot putt and Daly, who was hampered by a damaged putter in his opening-round 74, found a new putter that he liked.
“Luckily, I didn’t have to putt much because I had a few gimmes today,” Daly said. “This was one of my better ball-striking rounds in a long time.”
Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen bogeyed the final hole to miss the cut, along with Jose Maria Olazabal and Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam.