Golf

Ace carries Purtzer to Champions lead

BLAINE, Minn. - Tom Purtzer matched the tournament record with 9-under 63 that included a hole-in-one, and he held a one-stroke lead over Bruce Lietzke on Friday at the 3M Championships at the TPC of the Twin Cities.

Champions Tour rookie Don Reese had 66, one stroke in front of nine players, including defending champion Tom Kite.

The group at 69 included U.S. Senior Open champion Allen Doyle and leading money-winner Dana Quigley.

Purtzer, seeking his first Champions Tour victory in 17 months, had seven birdies in addition to the hole-in-one in the bogey-free round. On his next-to-last hole of the day, he aced the 205-yard 8th with a 4-iron. He had a 6-under 30 on his second nine.

It was Purtzer's first competitive hole-in-one since the 2003 SBC Classic, which was his first Champions Tour title.

Gore started on the back nine and had five birdies for 31 at the turn. After a bogey at the par-5 first, he went on to post two eagles and four birdies for 28 on the second nine at the 6,966-yard, par-71 Champions Run course. He closed with a 20-foot eagle putt and moved into third place, three shots behind leader Jon Mills, who was 15 under after an 11-under 60.

Al Geiberger (1977), Chip Beck (1991) and David Duval (1999) have shot 59s in competition on the PGA Tour, and Annika Sorenstam broke 60 on the LPGA Tour in 2001.

Olin Brown also carded a 59 in U.S. Open qualifying earlier this summer, and Phil Mickelson had a 59 last Nov. 24 at the PGA Grand Slam.

U.S WOMEN'S AMATEUR: Morgan Pressel advanced to the semifinals in Roswell, Ga., beating fourth-seeded Jennie Lee 7 and 6.

The 17-year-old Pressel will face Angela Park, who eliminated top-seeded In-Kyung Kim 3 and 2.

In the other semifinal, Australia's Alison Whitaker will face Venezuela's Maru Martinez, a senior at Auburn.

The fifth-seeded Pressel has piled up 24 birdies in four matches over 61 holes.

Tournament host Annika Sorenstam shot 75 to share sixth place on a windy day at the Barseback course.

Nocera, the only player to break par with 69, finished one shot ahead of Minea Blomqvist (72), Suzann Pettersen (72) and Carin Koch (74), who tied for third.

"It was horrible, no fun at all," Sorenstam said. "It was a really tough day - it was windy, rainy and cold. I just wanted to finish and have a cup of coffee in the clubhouse."

JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP: Steve Webster shot 5-under-par 67 to share the lead with fellow Englishman Mark Foster in Gleneagles, Scotland.

Webster birdied five holes on his back nine and was at 6-under 138. Foster, the first-round leader, shot a 70 that featured an eagle on the 16th.

[Last modified August 6, 2005, 01:37:26]