Golf

Sorenstam takes 10-stroke lead

By wire services
Published May 15, 2005

STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. - Annika Sorenstam stretched her lead to 10 strokes Saturday, virtually assuring her 60th LPGA Tour victory, at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship.

Only two players have rallied from such a deficit on the final day: Sorenstam in 2001 and Mickey Wright in 1964.

"You've got to play your own game," Sorenstam said. "Sometimes, it's easy to get too protective. And then you suddenly see your lead start to shrink, and then all of a sudden, you start to panic."

Despite her first bogeys of the tournament (three in all), Sorenstam shot 5-under 67 for 18-under 198, adding to the six-stroke lead she held after two rounds.

Silvia Cavalleri had the best day at 65 but still trailed by 11. Emilee Klein shot 68 and was second.

Sorenstam has a shot at the record for largest win margin. Cindy Mackey won the 1986 MasterCard International Pro-Am by 14. And her 60th victory would tie Patty Berg for third all time, behind only Wright (82) and Kathy Whitworth (88).

"Of course, I'm thinking about it," Sorenstam said of the wins. "I've got to go out there and do the work. There aren't going to be any shortcuts."

At the par-5 No.2, Sorenstam knocked a 4-wood to 28 feet and made the eagle putt. Two holes later, Sorenstam made her first bogey, ended a streak of 39 with par or better. A three-putt - the second miss coming from 3 feet - left her one hole shy of Rosie Jones' season high.

But Sorenstam bounced back with three birdies on the front side. She made her longest putt of the week, a 31-footer, at No.12 and birdied the 13th, chipping from behind a knoll to 5 feet.

Seminole's Brittany Lincicome shot 73-212 and Tampa's Beth Bauer 70-216.

MILTON - Craig Stadler shot 10-under 60 to match the Champions Tour and Blue Angels Classic records, leaving him two behind second-round leader Jim Thorpe.

Stadler had a 271/2-foot putt at No.18 for 59 but missed by 6 inches. He had 11 birdies and one bogey.

"The hole looks about the size of this room," Stadler said.

Stadler is the sixth tour player to shoot 60, joining Isao Aoki, Walter Morgan, Tom Purtzer, Bruce Fleisher and Thorpe. He birdied five of the first seven holes and made the turn at 4 under after bogeying No.9. He birdied Nos.10-12, 14, 16 and 17 before parring 18.

Thorpe, who shared the first-round lead with Morris Hatalsky and Vicente Fernandez, shot 64 for 13-under 127. Hatalsky (65) was a stroke back and Fernandez (69) five back.

Pete Oakley had a hole-in-one on the 191-yard 12th, the first on the tour this year. He shot 67-137.

PGA: Sean O'Hair shot 3-under 67 for a one-shot lead over British Open champion Todd Hamilton after three rounds of the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas.

The rookie, 22, who began the day tied for the lead, was at 12-under 198. Co-leader Brett Wetterich shot 73 and was six back.

O'Hair holed an 18-footer from just off the green for birdie at No.11 then made a 15-foot birdie putt at No.12 to take the lead at 11 under.

EUROPEAN PGA: Michael Campbell birdied the last four holes for 5-under 67 and three-shot lead after three rounds of the British Masters in Meriden, England. Campbell, at 6 under, made a 25-footer at No.15 and 10-footer at 16, two-putted from 25 feet at 17 and made a 30-foot chip at 18. Steve Webster (70), David Howell (72) and Brian Davis (73) were second.

ORLANDO - Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen was released from a hospital after an emergency operation to have his appendix removed. The 1993 and 1998 champion began feeling ill during a practice session Thursday, his agent, Tommy Limbaugh, said. Doctors advised against practicing for at least a week, Limbaugh said, and his return is uncertain. But Janzen should recover in time for the Open June16-19.

[Last modified May 15, 2005, 01:21:24]