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Mason likes the feel of major jitters

TURNBERRY, Scotland - English journeyman Carl Mason is getting used to the position of front-runner.

Mason shot 5-under-par 65 Saturday and maintained his one-stroke lead after three rounds at the Senior British Open.

"I'm getting used to this pressure thing," said Mason, who is at 14-under 196. "I quite like it. It feels terrible, but I quite like it."

Mason, who has won twice in his career, needs another strong round to win his first senior major. D.A. Weibring was in second place after 65. Tom Watson, Tom Kite and Bruce Summerhays, each of whom shot 66, were tied for third at 199.

Jack Nicklaus also was in contention, tied for ninth after consecutive 67s.

Watson and Kite didn't expect to be three stroke off the pace at 11 under.

"I'm in a good position, obviously," Watson said. "Definitely within shouting distance. Carl's the man to beat. I played with him in the first two rounds, and he certainly played better than I did."

Watson continued his streak of impressive play in majors. In the past month he has carded 65 at the U.S. Open, 66 at the U.S. Senior Open, 64 at the Senior Players Championship and 69 at the British Open.

"I have to say that my play this week has been pretty scratchy, but I've been making a lot of putts," Watson said.

Nicklaus could have been closer to the leader but made bogeys at 15 and 18.

"I could use a lot of words for how I finished, but none that you would want to print," he said. "I had an opportunity to shoot my age (63).

EVIAN, France - Juli Inkster set a tournament record and won the Evian Masters, closing with 7-under 65 for a six-stroke victory over Hee-Won Han.

Inkster, who entered the day tied for the lead with Rosie Jones (73), finished at 21-under 267 to beat Annika Sorenstam's mark of 19 under last year.

Sorenstam shot 69 to tie for 17th at 281.

Inkster is the first American to win the $2.1-million event. She earned $315,000, the second-biggest prize in women's golf after the U.S. Open.

"I got the chance and today I capitalized," Inkster said. "I played really well, didn't have a bogey, just never let anybody back in."

The 43-year-old won for the second time this season, her 30th title on the LPGA Tour.

"We'll see when these young kids have won 30," Inkster said, laughing.

CROMWELL, Conn. - Peter Jacobsen fired 1-under 69 and retained a one-stroke lead at 11-under 199 through three rounds at the Greater Hartford Open with a chance at his first PGA Tour win in eight years.

The 49-year-old, second-round co-leader's aggressive play outlasted a field of younger and longer players.

"The days of playing for par to protect a lead are over," he said. "It's like the Indy 500. You take a pit stop too long, the whole field goes by you."

His gallery included Suzy Whaley, the local teaching pro who played the first two rounds but missed the cut. Whaley, the first woman to qualify for a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias in 1945, shot 75 and 78.

Jacobsen's production company handled Whaley's publicity the past seven months. Fans continued to call out to her and congratulate her on her performance.

One stroke behind Jacobsen was Chris Riley (63) and Willie Wood (68). Second-round co-leader Jay Haas shot 75.

IRISH OPEN: Thomas Bjorn shot 4-under 68 to share the lead with Michael Campbell (71) and second-round leader David Lynn (72) in the European PGA Tour event in Portmarnock. Bjorn, who blew a late lead at the British Open a week ago, said he felt rejuvenated. Greg Owen and Robert Karlsson were one behind, with Peter Lonard two back.

U.S. BOYS' JUNIOR: Brian Harman parred No.14 to lock up his 5-and-4 victory over Jordan Cox at Chevy Chase, Md.

U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR: Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff rallied from five down after eight holes to beat defending champion In-Bee Park 1-up at Fairfield, Conn.