Verplank Rises to Challenge and Leads by Two

Amateur Scott Verplank refused to fold in the face of Jim Thorpe’s challenge, converted a couple of clutch birdies coming home and regained sole control of the lead Saturday in the third round of the Western Open, one of the oldest events on the PGA tour.

Verplank, 21, bidding to become the first amateur to win a professional tournament since Doug Sanders won the Canadian Open in 1956, was tied by the on-rushing Thorpe late in the day, then responded with birdies of his own on the 16th and 17th holes to regain a 2-shot advantage.

His reaction?

“I guess it’s just the same as any other golf tournament I play in, it’s nice to be leading going into the last round,” Verplank said.

Verplank, the current U.S. Amateur champion and a student at Oklahoma State, had a third-round 69 and completed three trips over the Butler National Golf Club course in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook in 205, 11 shots under par.

Thorpe, 36, still seeking his first victory in eight seasons on the PGA Tour, was a little more vocal.

“How am I gonna beat him?” he repeated a question, grinned, shook his head and suggested: “Break his legs?”

But Thorpe, who played the last 36 holes without a bogey, has shot consecutive 66s and still trails, said that beating Verplank may not be the prime target in today’s final round.

With a 207 total, he’s two behind Verplank. But he’s also five in front of the next pro.

Should Verplank win, he could not accept the $90,000 first prize. The money would go to the low pro.

“If we get to the 18th on Sunday, and he leads me by one, and I lead the next guy by two or three, I’m gonna tell him: ‘take it; take the trophy’,” Thorpe said, smiling broadly.

“I’ve got lots of trophies. He can have this one. If I want a trophy, I can buy one with $90,000,” Thorpe said.

The only negative aspect of that scenario, Thorpe said, “is that I don’t have his future.”

Five strokes back of Thorpe, and seven behind Verplank, were Bruce Lietzke, Scott Simpson and Corey Pavin. Lietzke had a 68, Simpson and Pavin 70s.

Gary Koch, Craig Stadler and Tim Simpson (no relation to Scott) were next at 213, eight back of the leader. Koch had 69, Simpson 70 and Stadler an erratic 71 that included five birdies and two double bogeys.

Defending champion Tom Watson struggled to a 78 and was 19 strokes back of Verplank at 224. Jack Nicklaus shot 74-222.

Lauren Howe fired a three-under-par 69, and Nancy Lopez shot a 70 to tie for the lead after three rounds of the $175,000 Jamie Farr Toledo tournament.

Howe and Lopez stand at five-under 211.

Lori Garbacz, who shot a 68, and Kathy Whitworth, who had a 70, were one shot back of the leaders. Penny Hammell (72) and second-round co-leader Colleen Walker (73) were at 213.

Jerry Barber shot his second straight 69 to take a two-stoke lead into the final round of the $200,000 Seniors tournament at Nashowtuck Country Club at Concord, Mass .

Lee Elder equaled the day’s low round of 67 and was second at 73-67--140.

Johnny Miller holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to take a share of the lead with Sandy Lyle entering the final round of the $170,000 Scandinavian Open at Stockholm.

Miller, 38, shot a 69 and is at 204, 12-under-par after 54 holes. Lyle, the British Open champion, also had a 69.

Dana Lofland, 17, of Oxnard, Calif., defeated fellow Southern Californian Amy Fruhwirth, 17, of Cypress, 4 and 3, to win the 37th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Pittsburgh.

Lofland, who took medalist honors in qualifying, gradually wore down Fruhwirth with her long game, often out-driving her opponent by as much as 40 to 50 yards on the 5,975-yard, par-72 St. Clair Country Club course.