Golf: Veteran leads Classic

TORONTO - America's J. L. Lewis, Scott McCarron and Ted Purdy carded three-under 69s to share the clubhouse lead yesterday in the rain-affected BellSouth Classic in Duluth, Georgia.

American veteran Billy Mayfair leads at four-under with five holes still to play in his opening round, which will be completed today.

After two days of rain play finally got under way at the water-logged course but bad weather continued to plague the $5 million tournament. With the year's first major, the US Masters, set for next week, BellSouth organisers are coming under scheduling pressure.

"It might be difficult for us to finish tomorrow and then play 36," said McCarron.

"I don't think we'll be able to do that, whether we go 54 or however we're going to do it.

"But we have a little bit more sunlight going, so you never know."

Playing in challenging, cold, gusting winds, McCarron, who has claimed two of his three PGA Tour wins at the BellSouth (1997, 2001), opened with a bogey at the first but was error free the rest of a difficult day.

Lewis mixed two bogeys with five birdies, including one on his last, and Purdy birdied three of his final six holes to join McCarron at three-under.

Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA champion, and Bo Van Belt sit one shot adrift after finishing their rounds in two-under 70.

* Briton Paul Lawrie finished his third round in virtual darkness to take over the lead of the Estoril Portuguese Open yesterday.

Lawrie, who seems to thrive in bad weather, most famously when he won the 1999 British Open at stormy Carnoustie, moved to 11 under with a five-under 66.

The leader and his group decided to play out their round in the gloom instead of walking in, as darkness descended on the Oitavos course.

The round had been interrupted three times because of heavy rain and three hours were lost due to water on the course.

Lawrie's nearest rival is fellow-Briton Barry Lane, one stroke behind.

The two overnight leaders, Paul Broadhurst of Britain and Portugal's Jose Filipe Lima, like Lane on the 16th, are a further stroke back.

New Zealand's Stephen Scahill slipped further back after carding a one-over 72 to sit in a tie for 10th place on four-under.

- REUTERS