Romero leads after stumble

Eduardo Romero missed a chance to take a big lead into the final day of the Senior PGA Championship in Kiawah Island, S.C., bogeying the final two holes Saturday to finish the third round with a two-stroke advantage.

Romero was 9 under par and four shots ahead after a birdie on the par-3 14th, but hit into a bunker on the 17th hole, leading to one bogey. Then he missed a 7-foot par putt on the 18th hole to tighten up a tournament he appeared to have a lock on.

Still, the Argentine star was 7 under after his 71, two strokes better than Denis Watson (69) and Nick Price (70). Naomichi “Joe” Ozaki (72) was fourth at 4 under.

No one else was under par after three days at Pete Dye’s seaside layout.

Romero had gone 17 holes without a bogey before closing with two straight.

Colonial

Playing through periodic rain showers, Scott Verplank had five birdies in 13 holes before the third round of the soaked Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, was suspended by impending darkness and more rain.

Verplank got to 9 under for a share of the lead with Rory Sabbatini, Pat Perez, Kevin Na, Arron Oberholser and Ben Curtis. Sabbatini had seven birdies and a bogey through 12 holes. Kirk Triplett (73), formerly of Pullman, finished his second round with at 142 to miss the cut.

None of the 70 players who made the 36-hole cut completed the third round. Everybody had at least three more holes.

Things have been out of whack since two weather delays during the first round Thursday, when an afternoon thunderstorm flooded the course and play never resumed for half of the original 114-player field.

The second round was finally completed and the 36-hole cut made Saturday afternoon when 24 players managed to finish after the scheduled resumption was delayed 5 1/2 hours by more rain.

LPGA

Paula Creamer birdied her two final holes for a 6-under 66 to tie Beth Bader and Young Kim for the third-round lead at the LPGA Corning Classic in Corning, N.Y.

Creamer, who began the day three shots behind Bader, completed a bogey-free round by chipping to 3 feet at No. 17 and finishing with a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Bader (69), who began the day with a one-shot lead over Kim (68), fell behind by two shots at the turn, but she tied Kim at 16 under with a birdie at No. 13, and the two parred the final five holes to finish at 16-under 200 and one shot ahead of Mi Hyun Kim (66).

First-round leader Charlotta Sorenstam continued to slide with a 75 and was at 4 under.