Sorenstam Shoots Out To Three-Stroke Lead In Women’s Open

Annika Sorenstam chipped in once and three times hit iron shots within a yard of the cup for birdies in a 67 Friday that provided a three-stroke lead in defense of her U.S. Women’s Open golf championship at Southern Pines, N.C.

Sorenstam, whose breakthrough victory in the United States came at last year’s Open, was at 3-under-par 137 after 36 holes, the only person under par on the difficult Pine Needles course.

Sorenstam’s 67 was the low round of the day. Jane Geddes, Emilee Klein and Brandie Burton were at even-par 140 after 36 holes and Rosie Jones was alone at 141.

The tournament seems in Sorenstam’s hands as she tries to become the first woman to successfully defend her title since Betsy King in 1990.

Tracy Hanson’s temper got the better of her on the 12th hole.

The Rathdrum, Idaho, golfer’s tee shot went left into the rough, and Hanson’s second shot landed in a bunker on the left side of the green. When she tried to blast out, the ball caught the fringe and rolled back into the trap. In anger, she pounded her club into the sand, which is a two-shot penalty.

Hanson left the hole with a triple-bogey 7 and finished the day at 149, 9 over par and one shot off the cut.

John Huston flirted with the magical score of 59 before settling for an 11-under-par 61 during the second round of the Memorial Tournament at Dublin, Ohio.

Huston, who turns 35 today, shot a 74 in the opening round and began the day tied for 63rd in the 110-player field. It took him just 13 holes to pass the 62 players ahead of him.

The 61 left him at 9-under 135 through 36 holes and gave him a two-stroke lead over Ernie Els, who was one ahead of a group of six that included Tom Watson and Payne Stewart.

Huston set the course record for Muirfield Village Golf Club and his 29 established a front-nine mark for the 7,118-yard course.

Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett shot 77 for a two-day, 8-over 152.

Bruce Summerhays and John Bland shot 5-under-par 67s and shared the first-round lead in the Bruno’s Memorial Classic Senior PGA tournament at the Greystone GC in Birmingham, Ala.

At Ooltewah, Tenn., Tiger Woods of Stanford continued his patient mastery of The Honors Course with a 69, his third straight sub-70 round, to take a nine-stroke lead after three rounds of the NCAA golf championships.

Arizona State continued to lead the team competition, holding a five-stroke lead over Nevada-Las Vegas with one day of competition left.