Lowery moves five shots ahead

After two stellar rounds, Steve Lowery figured his luck in the B.C. Open might run out. It didn't.

Despite starting the third round with seven straight pars, Lowery rallied for a 4-under-par 68 Saturday and opened a five-shot lead over Alex Cejka and English rookie John E. Morgan.

"I knew after shooting two 64s, experience tells me that you have a tendency to get frustrated," said Lowery, who was at 20-under 196. "If it doesn't happen right away, you think you're not playing as well. I knew it was coming."

Now, Lowery has a chance to do what only 1987 champion Joey Sindelar has done - lead all four rounds of the tournament.

"I'm going to try to pick my spots to be aggressive, and if the pins don't set up for my shots try to be patient," Lowery said.

John Maginnes, David Gossett and Brett Quigley were tied for third another shot back at 202. Rod Pampling and Brian Henninger were at 203. Robert Gamez, Craig Stadler, Steve Allan, Joel Edwards and David Frost were at 204.

Pat Bates, who began the round tied for second with Cejka and Quigley four shots behind Lowery, self-destructed quickly. He had two bogeys and a double-bogey 7 on the first five holes and stumbled to a 75.

Lowery was one of 70 players who had to complete the second round in the morning because of a rain delay on Friday before tackling the narrow En-Joie Golf Club course again.

After a 45-minute fog delay, bright sunshine produced near-ideal conditions, and Lowery took advantage. He carded four birdies on the seven remaining second-round holes but was unable to maintain that torrid pace once the third round began.

He watched birdie putts of 10 feet at No. 3 and 5 feet at the fourth hole stay out before making birdie at the par-5 eighth hole to go 17 under.

"I was trying to be patient through the first seven holes because I hit a lot of good shots and some good putts," said Lowery, who has two PGA TOUR victories. "I felt if I could get a putt or two in the hole that I could get some momentum."

The key to his day came at the par-4 ninth hole, when he converted a nice up-and-down par save after driving under the trees on the right side of the fairway. He lifted his second shot into the rough on the back side of the green, some 64 feet past the pin, then hit out to 14 feet and drained the putt.

"You see the eagles and the birdies on the card, but those par saves are huge to keep your momentum going," he said.

Lowery parred the 10th hole and rolled in a 6-footer for birdie at No. 11 to reach 18 under and gain a two-shot lead over Morgan.

Cejka, playing in a threesome with Lowery and Bates, birdied No. 2 to move within three shots of the lead. But he missed a 7-foot putt for birdie on the first hole and squandered another on No. 5, settling for a three-putt par from 59 feet on the par 5.

"I was trying to hang in there, trying to force him," Cejka said. "I hit some good shots but just couldn't make the putts. He had a few chances, too. Suddenly, he makes one or two birdies and there's a gap again."

A two-putt birdie from 39 feet on the par-5 12th hole dropped Lowery to 19 under, but his second shot at No. 13 found a bunker to the left of the green and he two-putted for bogey from 17 feet.

After a par at 14, Lowery drained a 7-foot birdie putt at 15 and sank a 34-foot birdie putt at 16 after driving a greenside bunker.

Cejka, who received a huge break on the hole when his drive caromed off a tree and landed in front of the green, also managed birdie to go to 16 under. But his drive at 18 landed in a water hazard and he had to settle for bogey and a tie for second.

"It's five shots, but in golf five shots is a lot and nothing," Cejka said.

Morgan's shocking electric blue hair -- the result of a lost bet on a golf course -- tucked neatly under his cap, made three straight birdies on the front nine before dubbing his third shot at the par-4 sixth hole and settling for bogey. At the eighth hole, he began another string of three birdies to reach 16 under, then birdied 18 to offset a double-bogey 6 at 15.

"I said to my caddie just before teeing off on 18 that I was going to shoot a birdie," Morgan said. "I really needed the birdie. I wanted to be in the last group on Sunday."

He got his wish. Morgan and Lowery are paired together.

"That's where you can put the pressure on a little bit more," said Morgan, whose best finish this year was a tie for 22nd a month ago in the Buick Classic. "The way I'm playing now, it's in there. Everything's got to click."

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