Birdie from bunker helps Herron into tie

Tim Herron held up his arms and smiled in amazement while still standing in the sand. Then he pulled his ball out of the cup and gave it a kiss.

That birdie from a bunker at No. 14, a 42-foot shot that went in the cup on the fly, put Herron alone in the lead Saturday during the third round of the Colonial at Fort Worth, Texas.

Bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17 took him briefly out of the lead, but Herron got back on top after hitting his approach at the closing hole to 2 feet for a birdie. His 2-under-par 68 got him to 10 under and tied with Rod Pampling.

Herron, affectionately known as “Lumpy,” will play in the final group today at Hogan’s Alley. The last of his three PGA Tour victories was seven years ago at Bay Hill.

“I feel like I’m getting old,” the 36-year-old Herron said. “I’ll just go out and play golf. … I’ve just got to stay in the moment. What I’m going to do is pretend like I’m a member and I’ve got a Sunday round at Colonial, playing with a good friend.”

Pampling didn’t get off to a good start, missing the fairway with his first tee shot and bogeying Colonial’s easiest hole, the 563-yard No. 1. That was the first of his three bogeys, but he managed to finish with an even-par round of 70.

Nathan Green (67), Richard S. Johnson (68) and Peter Lonard (69) were 9 under. First-round leader Stewart Cink (72) was 7 under, among seven other golfers within three strokes of the lead.

Herron is coming off his best two finishes of the season, a tie for seventh in New Orleans and a tie for 26th last week at the Byron Nelson Championship.

With his game coming into shape, Herron also this week reunited with caddie Scott Steele, who was on his bag for seven years before the two split for a while last summer.

Steele was with him for the win at Bay Hill.

LPGA

Annika Sorenstam’s pesky missed cut streak (of one) is finally over.

The eight-time LPGA Tour player of the year shot a 4-under 67 in the second round of the Sybase Classic at New Rochelle, N.Y., a round good enough to leave her one stroke behind leader Gloria Park and well above the cut line.

“Obviously I’m very happy. I get to play Sunday so that’s a good thing. I’ve improved from last week. Kidding aside, I’m very happy,” said Sorenstam, who was at 3-under 139 for two trips around the 6,161-yard Wykagyl Country Club course.

Park, the 2002 winner, also shot a 67.

With all play wiped out Friday because of heavy rain, LPGA officials decided to shorten the $1.3 million tournament to 54 holes.

Allison Hanna bogeyed two of her last three holes in a 71 that had her at 140.

Helen Alfredsson had a 66, the day’s low round, and was in a group of five tied for fourth at 1 under with Laura Diaz (68), Juli Inkster (69), rookie Seon Hwa Lee (71) and 2003 champion Hee-Won Han (73).

Sorenstam shot two 73s last week in missing the cut at the Michelob Ultra Open by one stroke. She last missed a cut in 2002, a run of 69 events.

Tracy Hanson, of Rathdrum, shot her second straight 77 and missed the cut.