GOLF ROUNDUP : Maggert, Heinen Join Kite in Lead

Tom Kite, after losing a two-shot lead, birdied the final hole Saturday to forge a three-way tie with Jeff Maggert and Mike Heinen after three rounds of the Houston Open.

Kite finished with a one-under-par 71 for a 204 total, 12 under par and two better than Hal Sutton, who shot a 71.

Heinen, a PGA Tour rookie who has made the cut in four of 10 events this year, was 14 under until he double-bogeyed No. 7, his 16th hole of the day, when his tee shot on the par three was blown into the water. He finished with a 69.

Maggert, who lives at the Woodlands and plays out of the TPC course being used for the $1-million event, shot a 68 with a birdie on No. 5, his 15th hole of the day, to go 12 under.

Maggert started the rain-delayed third round three shots off Kite’s pace and played par golf until beginning his surge with a birdie at No. 15, his sixth hole of the day.

Jeff Woodlands played through the rain for a 66 and was at 207 with Rick Fehr, who shot a 68, and Doug Martin, who had a 70.

There was a 2-hour 55-minute rain delay.

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Long-hitting Jim Dent took advantage of hard fairways that produced drives of up to 340 yards for a six-under 66 and a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the $900,000 Las Vegas Senior Classic.

“I hit it awful well today,” said Dent, who moved to eight-under 136, one stroke better than George Archer entering today’s final round.

Archer shot 69 to stand at 137, a stroke ahead of Chi Chi Rodriguez, Raymond Floyd, Tom Wargo, Jack Kiefer and first-round co-leader Kermit Zarley.

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Sherri Steinhauer, who has only one victory in a decade on the LPGA tour, threatened to run away with the $1.2-million Sprint Championship at Daytona Beach, Fla., the richest tournament in women’s golf.

The 31-year-old golfer from Madison, Wis., matched the day’s best round with a five-under 67 to go to 13 under at 203 and open a three-shot lead over Kelly Robbins heading into today’s final round.

Robbins had closed to within two strokes at No. 17 with a birdie while Steinhauer had her second bogey of the day after missing a short putt for par. But Steinhauer birdied the 18th to pad her lead.

Barb Bunkowsky, who has earned $964 on the tour this year, moved into third with a four-under 68, anchored by a 32 on the back nine. She was at 208.