Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 8, 1993 TAG: 9308080106
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: STRATTON MOUNTAIN, VT. LENGTH: Medium
The birdie at the turn Saturday set Lofland-Dormann on course to a 2-under- par 70, a 54-hole total of 206 and a one-stroke lead over Andrews through three rounds.
Andrews, who is from Lynchburg, Va., and is one of the hottest players on the tour with three top-seven finishes in the past four weeks, climbed into contention with birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 8 to go 7 under. She saw three other putts lip out.
"I missed some putts I should have made," Andrews said. "It's obvious to me it's been my putting that's kept me from winning, but I'm 100 percent better than last year - which tells you how poorly I was putting last year."
Birdies on 13 and 14 on putts of 36 and six feet, respectively, put Andrews 9 under, and she led for one hole before Lofland-Dormann rolled in her last two birdies.
On No. 17, Andrews three-putted from 18 feet for bogey, missing a three-footer. She got that back with a six-foot birdie putt on the last hole.
The leader for two rounds, Lofland-Dormann bogeyed two of the first four holes and appeared headed for collapse when she hit her 18-foot putt "really hard" on No. 9.
"People were saying that it was going into the water," she said of a distant pond.
Instead, the ball hit the center of the hole and dropped in for a birdie.
"More good luck for me," she said. "It's the way things have been going all week. It really got me going."
Lofland-Dormann had three birdies on the back nine to break out of the pack.
Andrews, who started the day four strokes behind, finished with a 67, the best round of the day, and was at 207.
Brandie Burton, also four behind starting the day, turned in a 69 and was at 209.
Lofland-Dormann, seeking her second tour victory, opened the gate for all comers when she pushed a 5-iron on the par-3 third hole and missed a 15-foot putt on No. 4 to fall 6 under.
At one time, five players were tied for the lead and she was not one of them.
At that point, Lofland-Dormann said she told herself, "Let's stop the bleeding and get it back together."
Lofland-Dormann, 25, joined the tour in 1990 and had one victory last year and a third for her only top 10 finish this year.
The players will be shooting for a $75,000 first prize today in the final round.
by CNB