Morgan Takes Command

Three straight days of posting the best scores at the Tradition in Scottsdale, Ariz., have Gil Morgan in an unflappable mood.

Not even seeing a challenger receive a bizarre break unnerved him on Saturday, when he shot a 5-under-par 67 to open a five-stroke lead.

Terry Dill, who escaped a penalty despite hitting his tee shot into a swimming pool off the 15th fairway, said Morgan was jovial on the green.

“He said, ‘I know I’m trying to beat you, but I want you to make this putt, because it would be the greatest birdie in the history of golf,”’ Dill said.

Morgan took aim on his first major title with a total of 17-under 199 - a tournament record and the lowest 54-hole total on the Senior Tour this year.

“I haven’t made very many mistakes, really, and the ones that I’ve made I’ve been able to recover from,” allowed Morgan, who has won seven times during his career on the regular tour and once in five senior events last year.

Both Isao Aoki and John Jacobs carded 70s to stay in range. Dill was fourth at 205 after a wild 71 which included two eagles, a birdie, four bogeys and a par-5 on No. 15, where he drove into the pool of one of the Desert Mountain community’s luxury homes.

The 546-yard hole has no out-of-bounds rule, so Dill was awarded a free drop and was able to punch his second shot back onto the fairway for an easy approach to the island green.

Jack Nicklaus, a four-time Tradition winner, fell well off the pace with a 75 for an even-par 216.

PGA

Larry Rinker, forced to return to qualifying school last year, held a one-stroke lead over Scott McCarron through eight holes of the darkness-suspended third round of the Freeport-McDermott Classic at New Orleans.

Play was delayed for 3-1/2 hours as storms delivered pounding rain and winds gusting up to 64 mph. There was only minor damage.

The fourth round is scheduled to follow the conclusion of the third round today.

Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett, who began the round six back, had six birdies and a bogey over nine holes to close within three at 9-under.

LPGA

Reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam, vying for her third victory of the season, shot a 1-under-par 71 for a one-stroke lead over Juli Inkster after three rounds of the Longs Drugs Challenge at Lincoln, Calif.

Sorenstam, the LPGA’s money leader, began the day trailing Inkster by one. But the Swede carved a four-bogey, five-birdie round to finish at 4-under-par 212.

Only six players were under par after three rounds as the hilly 6,412-yard Twelve Bridges Golf Club challenged the field.

Clarkston’s Robin Walton shot an 80 and was at 232.