BRIEFLY : FLEISHER NOT READY FOR SENIORS JUST YET.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Bruce Fleisher said time had passed him by. One month shy of his 50th birthday, maybe it has, but not Saturday at the B.C. Open in Endicott, N.Y.

Fleisher briefly put any thoughts of graduating to the Senior PGA Tour on hold with a 9-under-par 63 and gained the third-round lead at 12-under 204. That was one shot better than Nolan Henke, who shot a 67.

``I've been around a long time, but I can still play,'' said Fleisher, who took advantage of the firm playing conditions on the En-Joie Golf Club course for seven birdies and an eagle that got him going. ``I'm competitive, but that's why there is a senior tour. My peers are out there. I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to the no-cut. This year I've missed eight cuts by one shot, and it seems like every week I'm always around that cut. That's stressful.''

Juli Inkster made clutch shots down the stretch of two matches as the United States built a five-point lead over Europe heading into singles showdowns at the Solheim Cup in Dublin, Ohio.

The U.S. team, which won five of the eight points available on Saturday, held a 10-1/2-5-1/2 lead going into today's 12 singles matches.

Bruce Summerhays landed one drive on a cart path and the next in a creek but managed to salvage a share of the lead after two rounds of the $1.1 million Kroger Senior Classic in Mason, Ohio. Summerhays shot 69 over the 6,639-yard, par-70 Grizzly Course at The Golf Center just north of Cincinnati. That dropped Summerhays, who took a two-stroke lead into Saturday's round, into a five-way tie at 7-under 133 with Bob Charles, Frank Conner, Larry Nelson and Hugh Baiocchi.

TRACK AND FIELD: Nova Peris-Kneebone, the first Aboriginal to win an Olympic gold medal when she played on Australia's field hockey team in 1996, won a track gold in the women's 200 meters at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpu, Malaysia. Down the stretch, the Australian dipped and just caught Juliet Campbell of Jamaica, clocking 22.77 seconds. Campbell was timed in 22.79.

Nigerian Mary Onyali was a double winner at the Toto International Super Track and Field meet in Tokyo, sweeping the women's 100 and 200 meters.

MOTOR SPORTS: Matt Kenseth led 158 of 200 laps and held off determined rookie Kevin Grubb to win the MBNA Gold 200 in Dover, Del. The victory enabled Kenseth to pick up 43 points on Busch series leader Dale Earnhardt Jr., who now has a 97-point lead after 26 of 31 races.

Mark Gibson took command after series point leader Frank Kimmel crashed, running off to his first victory of the season in the Z-MAX 250 ARCA stock car race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Rick Carelli, whose only NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory was more than two years ago, edged Ron Hornaday to win the inaugural Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.