Triplett A Shot Back Of Leaders

The Southern Open became the Buick Challenge. Maybe they should have renamed it the Buick Shootout.

With 31 golfers within five shots of the lead heading into today’s final round at Pine Mountain, Ga., the Buick Challenge is still anybody’s tournament.

Fred Funk and Steve Stricker, two players trying to get into the $3 million Tour Championship, are tied at 11-under 205.

Funk shot a 69 Saturday and Stricker, who led by two strokes after the second round, shot an even-par 72 on the Mountain View Golf Course at Callaway Gardens.

Five players - Kirk Triplett, formerly of Pullman, John Morse, Loren Roberts, Larry Nelson and Jeff Sluman - are one stroke back. Three more are two strokes back and six others are three behind.

Triplett shot a 69 for a 206 total. Quincy, Wash., native Bill Porter shot a 74 for a 215 total.

At Clemmons, S.C., senior PGA Tour money-leader Dave Stockton and three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin shared the lead at the Vantage Championship. Stockton had a 6-under-par 66 for a 10-under 134 total that was matched by Irwin.

At Cornelius, N.C., Gail Graham was able to salvage a bogey after dropping an approach shot into the water and clung to a one-stroke lead over Hiromi Kobayashi and Tammie Green in the LPGA Fieldcrest Cannon Classic. Graham shot a 3-under-par 69 in the third round of the inaugural $500,000 event and was at 12-under 204 heading into today’s final round.

Rathrdrum, Idaho’s Robin Walton shot a 69 and Clarkston’s Tracy Hanson shot a 71, and they are both at 212.