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By The Way, Davies Leads

Compiled From Wire Services

Perhaps on the final day of the LPGA Championship, the focus will be entirely on what happens on the golf course.

In the third round, however, Laura Davies had to share the spotlight with CBS analyst Ben Wright and LPGA commissioner Charles Mechem Jr., both doing damage control for remarks attributed to Wright about lesbians hurting the tour.

Davies, the defending champion, shot a 2-under-par 69 to take a one-stroke lead over Kelly Robbins entering the final round of the $1.2 million tournament.

Davies had five birdies, including four on the back nine, for an 8-under 205 total after three trips over the 6,386-yard DuPont Country Course.

Robbins, who held the lead after each of the first two rounds, shot a 72. Patty Sheehan also had a 72 for a 207 total. But she bogeyed 15 and 17 and failed to break par for the first time this week.Dottie Mochrie had a 71 for a 208, tied with Marianne Morris, who had a 70.

Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, is at 8-over 221.

At Irving, Texas, South African Ernie Els followed a 61 with a 5-under 65 and opened up a three-shot lead in the third round of the $1.3 million GTE-Byron Nelson Classic.

The current U.S. Open champion completed 54 holes in 195, a distant 15-under on the TPC at Four Seasons, one shot off a PGA Tour scoring record.

Only a bogey on the 17th hole - his first in 42 holes - kept Els from matching the tour scoring record of 125 for consecutive rounds.

Robin Freeman, who has the unenviable distinction of being the only two-time winner of medalist honors in the tour’s qualifying school, was second.

At Clifton, N.J., George Archer had the best back nine on the Senior PGA Tour this year with a 6-under 30, taking a one-stroke lead over an equally hot Lee Trevino after two rounds of the Cadillac NFL Golf Classic.

Both Archer and Trevino had rounds of 6-under 66 on the Upper Montclair Country Club to come from off the pace to the top of a star-studded leaderboard.

Eleven players were within four shots of Archer’s 9-under 135 heading into today’s final round.