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Colbert leads as lightning halts play

Sixty-year-old Jim Colbert followed an eagle with a birdie to climb atop the leaderboard at one-under par before thunder and lighting forced the suspension of Saturday's third round at the U.S. Senior Open. The leader in the clubhouse was Jack Nicklaus, who beat the weather to post a 69 for a 54-hole total of two-over-par 212.

Approaching thunderstorms forced the stoppage of play Saturday at 4:47 p.m. (et). Heavy rain soon inundated Salem Country Club, and tournament officials decided to call it a day when the storm knocked out power at the club.

Third-round action is scheduled to resume Sunday at 7 a.m. (et), depending on the condition of the course. Officials hope to start the final round at 9:15 a.m. (et), with threesomes going off on the first and 10th tees in order to stay ahead of the threatening forecast for Sunday afternoon.

Colbert, looking to eclipse the record for oldest Senior Open winner by three years, chipped in for eagle from off the front of the 14th green. He added a birdie at 15, his last hole before leaving the course because of the weather.

Larry Nelson, a 14-time Senior Tour winner still searching for his first major title on the elder circuit, collected one birdie and 12 pars over his 13 holes Saturday. He stood one shot off the pace at even-par with Japan's Isao Aoki, the second-round leader, who was in the furthest group back through 12 holes.

Bob Gilder, Dana Quigley, Gil Morgan and Bruce Fleisher were together at one-

After struggling through the first 10 holes with three bogeys, Nicklaus rolled in a 16-foot eagle putt at the par-five 14th. He recorded his first birdie of the day at the 17th, then knocked a nine-iron out the first cut of rough to the back edge of the green at 18.

Just when Nicklaus' ball seemed to settle on the fringe, it started to roll back toward the pin, stopping five feet away to set up a closing birdie.

"I haven't been in contention for any kind of a major in some time," said the 61-year-old Nicklaus, who received quite an ovation from the gallery at the last green. "It feels good."

Nicklaus captured his last victory and his eighth Senior major at the 1996 Tradition. He is second on the all-time PGA Tour win list with 70 victories, including a record 18 in major championships.

Jay Sigel, whose game has suffered over the last two years because of shoulder problems, fired a third-round 64 to tie the U.S. Senior Open 18-hole record set by Orville Moody in 1989 and matched by Fleisher in last year's event.

Sigel finished at three-over 213 with Allen Doyle, who posted a 68.

Defending champion Hale Irwin and Jim Ahern were still on the course at plus- three.

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