GOLF ROUNDUP : Elkington Earns Share of Lead

Former Greater Greensboro Open champion Steve Elkington made an 85-foot putt on the 17th hole Saturday and moved into a tie with Mike Sullivan heading into the final round of the $1.5-million tournament at Greensboro, N.C.

A highlight of the third round was a rare double eagle by Tom Sieckmann on the par-5, 574-yard ninth hole, the longest hole on the Forest Oaks Country Club course.

Elkington, who won this tournament in 1990, and Sullivan, who led after each of the first two rounds, were tied at eight-under-par 208. Elkington finished the third round with a 69, and Sullivan, after two sub-70 rounds, had a 73.

Gil Morgan was another shot back at seven-under after matching Elkington’s 69, and Lennie Clements and Paul Azinger were at six-under. Azinger recovered to shoot a 70 after swinging and missing on a shot near a tree on his second hole, which he double bogeyed. Clements shot even-par 72.

The golfers have had to battle strong winds for three rounds and the forecast for today’s final round was for winds of 25-30 m.p.h. and possible thunderstorms.

Sieckmann got his double eagle with a 267-yard shot, which he hit with a three-wood. Sieckmann has struggled with his game this season, missing eight cuts on the tour, but he had a large gallery cheering for him on Saturday.

Double eagles are rarer than holes-in-one. There were two double eagles on the tour last season and 33 holes in one.

Sieckmann had a five-under-par 31 on the front side, but the double eagle started a chain of events that led to an up-and-down tour over the back nine. He three-putted No. 10 for a double bogey, then went birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey, bogey, birdie, par and double bogey to finish with a one-under 71.

Sieckmann, who is one-over after three rounds, kept his double eagle in perspective. “It’s only one hole out of my life so I try not to get too excited about it,” he said.

It appeared Sullivan would hang onto the lead after going one-under on the front side, continuing his unspectacular but solid play, as the wind continued to blow and no one was able to string birdies together.

But he stumbled down the stretch with bogeys at Nos. 15 and 16. “I probably was a little conservative a couple of times where I shouldn’t have been as conservative,” said Sullivan, who has won only twice in 17 seasons on the PGA Tour.

Sullivan’s last victory was in 1989 at The Woodlands, Tex.

Elkington also had a 35 on the front side and birdied the par-5 13th hole before sinking his long, uphill putt on the 188-yard 17th.

“That was the longest putt ever in the history of the GGO,” said Elkington, who came from seven shots back to win four years ago.

Harold Henning managed five birdies despite winds gusting to 40 m.p.h. to remain the only golfer with a below-par total heading into the final round of the Muratec Reunion Pro-Am at Frisco, Tex.

Henning shot a three-under 69 for a one-under-par 143 total through 36 holes, two strokes ahead of Dave Stockton on the 6,737-yard course at Stonebriar Country Club.

Larry Laoretti and Don January were three strokes back at 146 in the $500,000 tournament.