GOLF ROUNDUP : Kraft Moves Past Stewart With a 69

Greg Kraft, who has never finished higher than sixth in seven years as a pro, shot a three-under-par 69 on Saturday and took a one-shot lead after 54 holes in the $1-million Freeport-McMoRan Classic at New Orleans.

Kraft, who had his best pro finish in last year’s Kemper Open, was at four-under 212 and one stroke ahead of Payne Stewart and Russ Cochran. Stewart, who led after the first two rounds, struggled to a 73 Saturday for 213. Cochran had a 70.

“I’m playing really well right now and just trying to keep it simple,” Kraft said. “It’s not that simple, though. To be leading at this point I had to get a lot of breaks, have a lot of luck and do a lot of hard work.”

Kraft, whose 29th birthday is today, had five birdies to overcome bogeys on the first and 17th holes.

“I played good at times, but I got defensive instead of staying aggressive,” Stewart said after a round plagued by three bogeys in a row on the back nine. “I tried to play it safe and I guess I’m not a very good safe player.”

In fact, Stewart needed a birdie on the 18th hole of the 7,116-yard, par-72 course to regain a piece of second place.

“You’re going into the wind, into the wind, into the wind, then all of a sudden the wind is at your back and everything changes,” Stewart said. “These greens are so firm and so hard that downwind you have to play how-do-I-keep-it-on-the-green.”

Stewart was one under for the day after 11 holes before his putter betrayed him.

Mike Standly, who started the day at two under, overcame a bogey at No. 3 and a double bogey at No. 4 to shoot an even-par 72 for 214.

Brandie Burton turned a favorable change in weather conditions into a second-round 65 to take a one-stroke lead in the $450,000 Las Vegas LPGA tournament at Canyon Gate.

Play in the 54-hole tournament improved as strong winds that caused scores to soar Friday subsided a day later.

Burton had the most visible turnaround with her seven-under-par effort on the 6,114-yard, par-73 Canyon Gate layout. Burton shot a 74 in the first round.

Her two-day total of 139 was good for a one-shot lead over Elaine Crosby, who shot 68 Saturday, and Judy Dickinson, who had a 69 in the second round.