GOLF ROUNDUP : Bradley, Pitcock Lead by One Shot

Pat Bradley, the leading money winner on the LPGA tour, and unheralded Joan Pitcock led the 46th U.S. Women’s Open by a stroke over Amy Alcott after 36 holes Friday.

Defending champion Betsy King barely made the cut, 10 shots behind.

Bradley fought the wind, 99-degree heat and ragged greens for a two-over-par 73 and Pitcock had a one-over 72. Their 142 totals were even par for two trips around rough-infested Colonial Country Club at Ft. Worth.

“It was a long day. Five hours is an awful long time to be out there,” said Bradley, the 1981 Open champion. “Golf is a game of momentum, and for 16 holes we were twiddling our thumbs out there. I thought a 73 was pretty good, to tell the truth.”

King was disenchanted with her playing partners, the greens and the course as she saw her bid for a third consecutive Open title dim with a seven-over-par 78. She later lamented about the frustrations of trying to defend her title and being at 10-over 152 for 36 holes.

King made four birdies Friday but also posted two double bogeys and a triple bogey.

“It was hard to judge out there, a big guessing game,” she said. “It takes more than talent to hit a shot.”

Earlier in the week she said women’s golf could never get any attention in the Lone Star State because of “a good ol’ boy mentality in Texas.”

Bruce Fleisher fired a four-under-par 67 for a 36-hole total of 131 and widened his lead to three strokes at the halfway mark of the $1-million New England Classic at Sutton, Mass.

Fleisher, 42, set up four birdies with accurate wedge shots in a bogey-free second round and tied the 36-hole record at Pleasant Valley Country Club.

Blaine McCallister, Ernie Gonzalez and Ted Schulz, who shared a five-way tie for second after one round, added 69s to remain tied for second. Also at 134 were Billy Andrade, Mike Springer, John Daly, Ian Baker-Finch and Gene Sauers.

George Archer shot a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead in the Senior PGA Tour’s Newport Cup tournament at Newport, R.I.

Archer had an eagle, two birdies and a par on the par-five holes of the 6,722-yard, par-72 Newport Country Club course.

Gary Player fought through rain and wind to shoot a two-over-par 73 and take the lead at 143 after two rounds of the Seniors British Open at St. Annes, England.

Second, a stroke behind, is Player’s brother-in-law, Bobby Verwey, and England’s Peter Butler.