Golf Roundup : Hammond Leads World Series by a Shot

Donnie Hammond birdied the 18th hole and took sole control of the lead Friday in the second round of the $700,000 NEC World Series of Golf at Akron, Ohio.

Hammond’s 15-foot putt finished off a round of two-under-par 68 and gave him a total of 134 for two trips over the Firestone Country Club course. One stroke behind was Dan Pohl, who escaped potential trouble on several holes into a round of 66.

“I’m fortunate to be in this position,” Pohl said. “I turned a couple of pars into birdies and bogeys into pars, and you don’t do that all the time. I’m going to have to start driving better or I won’t be around the lead this weekend.”

Pohl chipped in for one birdie, got another from a fairway bunker and still another after driving into the wrong fairway.

Lanny Wadkins salvaged a 68 despite a double-bogey 7 on the 16th--”just a dumb mistake,” he said--and was at 136.

Juli Inkster had three consecutive birdies in a late charge and shot a four-under-par 67 for a two-shot lead in the first round of the $225,000 Atlantic City LPGA tournament at Marriott’s Seaview Country Club in Galloway Township, N.J.

Jane Geddes, Ayako Okamoto, Judy Dickinson, Penny Pulz and rookie Deb Richard were tied for second place at 69.

Don January and Brian Claar came from five shots back to take a two-stroke lead in the second round of the $450,000 Showdown Senior PGA tournament at Jeremy Ranch, Utah. They birdied nine of the first 10 holes in the 72-hole best-ball event, then added three more birdies to take the lead with a 20-under-par 124.

Thursday’s leaders, Bobby Nichols and Curt Byrum, were tied for second at 126 with Gary and Wayne Player, and Bob Goalby and Jay Haas.