GOLF ROUNDUP Verplank leads by 3 strokes over Estes

Hale Irwin leads the Champions Tour, while Grace Park tops the LPGA.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS -- Scott Verplank shot a 5-under 67 Saturday to remain three strokes ahead of the low-scoring field after the third round of the HP Classic of New Orleans.
Verplank's 195 total put him 21-under through 54 holes -- nearly matching the course record for 72 holes -- as English Turn remained defenseless with little wind, fast fairways and greens with some give to them.
Bob Estes shot his third 66 of the tournament and was in second at 18-under 198. He made a late push with birdies on 14, 15, 16.
Brian Gay had a double-bogey on 18 that cost him second place and dropped him into a tie for third with Kirk Triplett at 17 under.
The marquee names in the tournament were all well off the pace, including money leader Davis Love III, who had two double-bogeys and to enter the final round eight strokes back.
Champions Tour
HOOVER, Ala. -- Hale Irwin shot a 5-under-par 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Bruce Fleisher and Tom Jenkins into the final round of the Bruno's Memorial Classic.
Irwin, winless in seven starts this season after winning a record 36 titles in his first eight years on the Champions Tour, had a 12-under 132 total on Greystone's Founder's Course.
The three-time U.S. Open champion won the 2001 event, shooting three straight 65s to break the tournament record by six strokes. In 22 rounds at Greystone, he's 73-under.
Jenkins shot a 66.
Bob Gilder (67) was three strokes back at 9-under, and 67-year-old Bob Charles (65) and Jim Colbert (67) followed at 8-under.
LPGA
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Grace Park shot a 2-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead in the Michelob Light Open, with the tour's top two players and top two rookies all close behind.
Park had a 9-under total, one stroke ahead of Cristie Kerr, who shot 68. Tour rookies Suzann Pettersen (71) and Lorena Ochoa (72) joined Hee-Won Han (68) three strokes behind Park.
Annika Sorenstam and Se Ri Pak, the LPGA Tour's top two players, were four strokes back along with Patricia Meunier-Lebouc. Pak and Sorenstam, paired together, shot 70s, and Meunier-Lebouc had a 71.
The South Korean player recovered from a double-bogey on the par-3 5th hole, when her ball bounced into a stream, with four birdies over the next 13 holes.
Foreign players have won 16 straight events, and held 13 of the top 15 spots Saturday. Juli Inkster (U.S. Women's Open) and Mallon are the only U.S. winners in the last 28 tournaments.