Sunday, May 16, 2004
Garcia surges into Nelson lead
Ochoa on verge of first LPGA win
The Associated Press
IRVING, Texas - With awesome control from tee to green, Sergio Garcia figured his 5-under-par 65 should have been a little lower, and his two-shot lead at the Byron Nelson Championship a little larger.
Tiger Woods was so wild it's a wonder he didn't shoot higher than 70 and that he's only three shots behind.
Garcia hit every green in regulation and missed only one fairway on the TPC at Las Colinas, taking advantage of another Saturday swoon by Woods to build a two-shot lead over Jerry Kelly.
The Spaniard, 24, is playing so well - he hasn't missed a green since the 13th hole of the second round - that it made no difference nine players were within four shots of the lead.
Asked who was the bigger threat - Woods three behind or Vijay Singh four shots back - Garcia smiled.
"Myself," he said. "If I don't beat myself out there, I should be OK."
Garcia, winless on the PGA Tour the last two years while retooling his swing, was at 11-under 199. It was only the second time on the PGA Tour, and fourth time worldwide, he had had the lead going into the final round. He won two of those events, the 2001 Buick Classic and the 2002 Spanish Open.
"I feel like I should be leading by quite a lot more," said Garcia, who missed seven birdie putts inside 15 feet.
Kelly didn't feel comfortable with the driver, but he at least kept in play during his bogey-free round of 67, putting him in the final group with Garcia.
LPGA TOUR: Lorena Ochoa shot a 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead through three rounds of the inaugural Franklin American Mortgage Championship at Franklin, Tenn.
Ochoa took a big step toward her first victory with a seven-birdie, two-bogey round.
The 2003 Rookie of the Year who has 13 top-10 finishes in her short career, is at 12-under 204.
A week after sharing the third-round lead and finishing second, Ochoa started slowly Saturday with bogeys at Nos. 3 and 6. She rebounded with birdies on six of the next nine holes to move into the lead.
Mi Hyun Kim tied the course record with an 8-under 64, her lowest round of the year, and moved into second at 11-under 204. Kim had eight birdies in a bogey-free third round.
ASIAN OPEN: England's Simon Dyson matched his course record with a 6-under 66 to extend his lead to six strokes in Shanghai, and Greg Norman was disqualified for the second time this year.
Norman sent his tee shot into the water on the 17th hole in the third round. The Australian then hit a ball from beside the water when he should have either returned to the tee or gone to the drop zone 60-70 yards behind him as required by the rules.
"This one here, I was just oblivious," Norman said. "I can't blame anybody except myself."
In March, Norman disqualified himself at the Honda Classic in Florida after incorrectly playing a tee shot on the 13th hole.
REDS
Freel runs Reds past Dodgers
ONLINE EXTRA: Photos of Saturday's game
Close calls call for one man: Graves
Fay: Future growing, aching, struggling
Vander Wal craves a perfect ending
Club courts caution with Casey
Reds chatter
MORE BASEBALL
Kelly: Around the majors
Sidney Ponson causing a few headaches
Nen to rest hurt shoulder a month
Sosa hits No. 549, moves past Schmidt
NL: Cards sink Fish
AL: Red Sox keep pace
Louisville 7-1, Toledo 5-4
PREAKNESS STAKES
Preakness: Smarty Jones still undefeated
A real smarty, this Smarty Jones
Preakness Stakes recap
Preakness Notebook
PREP SPORTS
Groeschen: Track records continue to fall
Ernst: Power hitters jog memories
Prep sports results, schedules
PAGE TWO: GOOD SPORTS
Golfer's game going national
Quick chat with ... Bo Schembechler
Falk's tennis game grows at Vanderbilt
What's up with that?
This week's poll question
All thumbs
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Penders' task: Return Houston to former glory
NBA PLAYOFFS
Lakers eliminate Spurs
Pacers beat the Heat, lead 3-2
NHL PLAYOFFS
Primeau pushes Flyers past Bolts
Iginla, Marleau get Canada's call during tense series
MOTOR SPORTS
Surprising Rice takes Indy pole
Points leader Earnhardt Jr. gambles, wins
Gordon qualifies, then hits the road
MORE SPORTS HEADLINES
Tarver shocks Jones with 2nd-round knockout
Garcia surges into Nelson lead
Sports digest
Sports on TV, radio