Lyons' win in wind looks to be a breeze

The wind was howling Saturday afternoon at Bonneville Golf Course, sending the scores soaring at the annual Richard C. Kramer Salt Lake City Amateur.

When asked to describe his round, one golfer said simply, "Wind bad."

Only four golfers managed to break par, but the one guy least affected by the windy conditions was Herb Lyons.

Playing in the last group of the day when conditions were at their worst, Lyons birdied six of his first seven holes on his way to a 5-under-par 67. That gives him a two-shot lead over defending champion Tommy Sharp and Jon Wright, heading into today's final round. Former City Am champ Steve Poulson is two shots back at 71.

"I was controlling the wind ball well today," said Lyons, a 40-year-old from West Jordan. "I hit the ball well and made a couple of putts."

Lyons had played at the Ben Lomond Amateur in Ogden in the morning with an average score of 72, and had to rush to make his 2:30 p.m. tee time in Salt Lake. Once he teed off on Bonneville's back nine, he was on fire, making birdies at 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. On the par-3 15th, his chip from 40 feet hit the flagstick hard and dropped.

After making bogey at 18 and 1, he came back with birdies at 5 and 7 before making a bogey at the final hole.

Sharp and Wright are both former professionals who reside in Salt Lake. Wright had to overcome a double bogey at No. 9, while Sharp had three bogeys on his card.

Chris Hansen leads the A Flight at 72, and Mac Machan is the B Flight leader at 73.

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