Couples spends 3rd day on top
By Associated Press,
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 27, 2003
HUMBLE, Texas - Reminded that it has been five years since he won a tournament, Fred Couples laughed sarcastically.
"Thank you very much," he said Saturday after 5-under 67 kept him in the lead of the PGA's Houston Open for the third straight day. "You sure it hasn't been six?"
Among the dominant players in the 1990s but not as successful in recent years, the 43-year-old put himself in position to end the drought, closing with five birdies on the final seven holes, getting him to 16-under 200 for a one-stroke lead over Mark Calcavecchia.
"All right. Okay. It has been a long time," he said. "I should be fine and I just have to do what I did today. ... It will be the guy who makes the most putts."
Couples rolled in an 8-footer for birdie on the par-4 18th for the lead.
"He's playing the best I've seen him play in a long time," said Calcavecchia, tied with Couples entering the round and after 17 holes. Calcavecchia, an 11-time winner, is looking for his first victory in more than two years.
Calcavecchia's birdie attempt at 18 was short by 2 feet, leaving him with 68. Stuart Appleby (66) was another shot back, followed by Trevor Immelman. Jay Haas was in a group of four at 204, four back, and John Daly and defending champion Vijay Singh were among six at 205.
Couples stayed close despite early problems. He birdied the 562-yard, par-5 No. 1 despite failing to get a shot out of a bunker. But his second attempt out of the sand hit the flagstick and dropped in.
He bogeyed No. 3, and at the No. 7, a 498-yard par-4, his approach shot hit the water in front of the green, leading to double bogey.
Hank Kuehne, the 1998 U.S. Amateur champion whose course-record 64 Friday propelled him into a share of the lead after two rounds, bogeyed his first three holes and finished with par 72 for 11 under.
CHIK-FIL-A CHARITY: Thirteen-year-old Michelle Wie, followed by the largest gallery on the course, made the cut in her second straight LPGA Tour event, overshadowing leader Karrie Webb at Stockbridge, Ga.
Wie completed the rain-delayed first round in the morning, playing 13 holes and finishing at par 72, then went straight to No. 1 and got started on another 18 for 70.
"I made some stupid mistakes," said Wie, who finished ninth in the first LPGA major of the year. "I made some really good putts, but I should have played better."
She was nine behind Webb, who surged to the lead with bogey-free rounds of 67 and 66 in the 54-hole event. Webb is seeking her first victory of the year. She hasn't finished higher than ninth in four events, which she blames on uncharacteristic lapses.
At Las Vegas last weekend, Webb was 3 under with two holes left in the first round. Then she put up quadruple-bogey 8, knocking her out of contention.
"I've been throwing up some big numbers in the middle of rounds," Webb said. "That stops a lot of momentum and you have to play catch-up golf from there."
Shani Waugh, seeking her first victory on tour, was two back at 135 and Se Ri Pak was at 136. Thirty-six failed to complete the second round and will return this morning to finish.
LEGENDS OF GOLF: Bruce Lietzke, looking for his first win of the year, had an eagle early in the second round for a one-stroke lead over Dana Quigley in the rain-delayed Champions Tour event in Savannah, Ga. Lietzke opened with 2-under 70 in the morning and added an afternoon 65 for 9-under 135. Quigley had rounds of 69 and 67.
Hubert Green was 7 under after 70 and 67, and Morris Hatalsky (68-70) was three back. Hale Irwin, Fuzzy Zoeller and Bob Gilder were 5 under. Because heavy rain washed out almost all of Friday's first-round play, two rounds were completed, keeping some of the 55-player field on the course until almost 8 p.m., ending a 13-hour day.
SPANISH OPEN: Teenager Pablo Martin shot 8-under 64, moving to a six-way tie for first in the European PGA event on Costa Adeje, Canary Islands. Martin, 17, the Spanish Amateur champion, had eight birdies, tying Santiago Luna, Soren Hansen, Paul Casey, Kenneth Ferrie and Simon Khan at 19-under 197. Defending champion Sergio Garcia was five back.
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