Open Field Narrows At Broadmoor Mallon’s Bogey-Free 66 Vaults Her Into First Place

After the first round, 18 players were under par. After the second round, there were 12. After the third round, only three.

“Welcome to the U.S. Open,” said Meg Mallon, one of the lucky survivors after 54 holes of the 50th U.S. Women’s Open. “It happened with the men. It happens with everybody. It’s just the nature of the Open, and the USGA is smiling. Their idea of a perfect U.S. Open is to shoot even par and win.”

Mallon has created some angst among USGA officials heading into today’s final round on the 6,398-yard, par-70 Broadmoor East course.

Her nearly flawless, bogey-free 66 on Saturday gave her a 54-hole total of 5-under-par 205, bettering the Open record of 206 set by Patty Sheehan last year.

Two strokes back was Julie Larsen, who birdied three of her last six holes for a 68 and a 207 total. Larsen posted her first win five weeks ago.

The only other sub-par total belonged to Rosie Jones, who was at 209 after an even-par 70 on Saturday.

“That’s the way you’re supposed to play a U.S. Open - hit fairways, hit greens and put the ball in the right position on the greens,” said Mallon, 32. “It was a fun day, but I know I’m really going to have to fight my nerves tomorrow.”

Mallon, who began the day one shot out of the lead at 1-under par, birdied the fourth and ninth holes and suddenly found herself with a two-stroke advantage.

Mallon, the 1991 Women’s Open champion, sank a 12-foot birdie putt at No. 13 to get to 4-under, forging a momentary three-shot lead.

Kelly Robbins, playing ahead of Mallon, then birdied the par-5 17th to cut Mallon’s lead to two shots.

Mallon gained another shot on par at the par-5 17th, hitting a 60-yard pitch shot to 3 feet and making that birdie putt as well.

Robbins, who double-bogeyed the 18th hole, was at even-par 210, along with Pat Bradley and Annika Sorenstam. Kris Tschetter, Dale Eggeling and Tania Abitbol of Spain were in at 211. Dottie Mochrie and first-round leader Jill Briles-Hinton were in a group at 212.

Weather delays on Friday forced 27 players into finishing their second rounds Saturday morning. Third-round tee times were delayed and players were sent off both the first and 10th tees for the first time in Women’s Open history.

The third round began with eight players tied for the lead at 2-under.

Twenty players were within three shots of the lead.

Jean Bartholomew had been the overnight leader, getting to 3-under through 13 holes of the weather-delayed second round when darkness halted play Friday night.

The field then was cut and third-round pairings assigned. Among those missing the cut were LPGA Hall of Famer JoAnne Carner (149), Beth Daniel (151), 1993 Open champion Lauri Merten (151) and Nabisco Dinah Shore winner Nanci Bowen (153).

Laura Davies, the tour’s leading money-winner this year, made a brief charge with birdies on four straight holes to get to 3-over. She finished at 4-over 214 with a 69.

Defending champion Patty Sheehan also was 4-over after a 71.

She went 32 holes between birdies until she converted at No. 17 Saturday. “I’ve missed too many makable birdie putts all week,” Sheehan said. “Maybe I’m putting too much pressure on myself to repeat.”