Buick Invitational
Torrey Pines Country Club
San Diego, California
5th - 8th February 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $2.1 million

Third Round Report

Second Round Report
Second Round Scores
First Round Scores
First Round Report

Pate moves into a four-way tie for the lead

La Jolla, California, 7th February 1998 - Former U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson, trying to rebound from his worst career year, moved into a four-way tie for the lead when third-round play was suspended due to darkness today at the rain-plagued $2.1 million Buick Invitational in San Diego.

Simpson collected seven birdies and had completed 15 holes when play was halted. He is tied at 11-under-par with Kevin Sutherland, two-time champion Steve Pate and 1986 winner Bob Tway. Sutherland and Pate finished eight holes, while Tway had just made the turn.

The third round will resume on Sunday at 11:15 a.m. EST, with the final round scheduled to begin only 45 minutes later.

It should be a scramble for the championship as 19 players are within three shots of the lead. Reigning PGA Championship winner and former champion Davis Love III heads a group of six just one stroke back at 10-under on the Torrey Pines South course. Unheralded Jeff Sanday, Steve Jurgensen, Spike McRoy, Russ Cochran and Brent Geiberger also trail the leaders by one.

Tiger Woods is lurking at 9-under along with Craig Stadler and three others.

With all but six players forced to finish their second rounds this afternoon, only two groups were able to complete 54 holes. Rain also disrupted last week's Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, shortening it to 54 holes and eventually forcing officials to postpone the final round until August 17th.

Simpson won the 1987 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club, but is seeking his first victory since 1993. Last year, he fell out of the top 125 on the money list for the first time since joining the PGA Tour in 1978. He is playing this season on a one-year exemption for being among the top 50 in career earnings.

"It would mean a lot to win, I haven't won since '93," said Simpson, whose caddy this week is San Diego Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries. "I saw a lot of putts go in the hole, which was a lot of fun. Coming off my worst year ever, this is really great. I just hope we get 72 holes in."

Defending champion Mark O'Meara, who struggled uncharacteristically at Pebble Beach last week, played 15 holes at even-par today and is eight shots back at 3-under. He is trying to become just the second player to defend a title at Torrey Pines. J.C. Snead won in 1975-76.

The Torrey Pines South course is a par-72 layout that measures 7,022 yards.

First prize is $378,000.