Parry blows past Lehman, takes Invensys Classic lead

LAS VEGAS -- For two days, golf seemed an easy game for Tom Lehman. Then the wind started blowing and his chances of running away with the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas went with it.

Lehman's three-shot lead evaporated in the wind Friday, allowing Craig Parry to pass him by and take a one-shot advantage through three rounds of the 90-hole tournament.

Parry holed a 6-iron shot for a rare double eagle, then made a 30-footer for birdie on the final hole to shoot a 6-under 66 and move to 19 under, a shot ahead of Lehman and two clear of Bob Estes and Scott McCarron.

Lehman, who made 19 birdies and no bogeys his first two rounds, had trouble in the gusty wind at the TPC at The Canyons course, shooting a 1-over 72 after opening with rounds of 63 and 62.

"I'm still playing well and there's still two days to go," Lehman said. "I really didn't hurt myself too badly. I thought if you shot par today, you did well."

Parry did much better than that, though he had a small advantage because he was playing the TPC at Summerlin course instead of The Canyons course that is more susceptible to the wind.

Parry was six shots back beginning the round, and made up three of them with one shot, the 6-iron from 187 yards that hit short and rolled into the hole on the par-5 third hole.

Parry's double eagle was the fifth on the PGA Tour this year, and his first in a competitive round.

He followed it with nine straight pars before finishing with three birdies on the last six holes.

"It was like playing the British Open today," Parry said. "It was pretty brutal with the wind out there."

While the wind pushed up scores after two days of perfect scoring conditions, there were still some good scores posted. McCarron had the lowest with a 65 that tied him for third, while local favorite Bob May shot a 65 at Canyons and was four off the lead.

The Transamerica

NAPA, Calif. -- Allen Doyle shot a 5-under 67 in windy conditions to take a one-stroke lead over Hale Irwin and Tom Jenkins after the first round of The Transamerica.

Rocky Thompson, Don Pooley and Terry Mauney opened with 69s at Silverado Country Club, and defending champion Jim Thorpe topped a seven-player group at 70.

World Match Play

VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Defending champion Lee Westwood beat Denmark's Thomas Bjorn 1-up to advance to the semifinals of the World Match Play Championships.

Westwood will face Wales' Ian Woosnam, a 4-and-3 winner over Scotland's Colin Montgomerie on Wentworth's West Course.

In the other quarterfinals, Scotland's Sam Torrance edged Fiji's Vijay Singh 1-up and Ireland's Padraig Harrington beat Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke 5 and 4.

-- From wire reports