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In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors.
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Golf Capsules
Saturday March 29, 2003
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) On a day when Annika Sorenstam
struggled and a French player led the Kraft Nabisco, a long-
hitting 13-year-old gave fans a glimpse into the future of women's
golf.
Michelle Wie isn't even old enough to play on a high school
team, but she was good enough to shoot the best round Saturday, a
6-under 66 that put her in the final group Sunday with Sorenstam
and Patricia Meunier-Lebouc.
Meunier-Lebouc shot a 2-under 70 to take a three-stroke lead
over Sorenstam and four over Wie, who was as unflappable as an
eighth-grader in a major championship could be.
``I didn't even know what I was shooting,'' Wie said. ``I just
felt like I had to make one more birdie.''
Wie almost did, lipping out a 4-footer on the final hole
Saturday, one of two short back-nine misses that were still
bothering the eighth-grader from Honolulu some time later.
``It's killing me right now,'' she said. ``I could have been
second by now.''
That spot was occupied by two-time defending champion Sorenstam,
who had short putting troubles of her own and finished with a 71.<
^The Players Championship=
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Never mind that Jay Haas is one
year away from joining the seniors. All that matters now is that
he's one round away from winning The Players Championship against
the most talented field in golf.
Haas, 49, capped a string of three birdies by chipping in on No.
12 and ended another wacky day on the TPC at Sawgrass by making par
after hitting a fan in the back on the 18th.
It added up to the best score Saturday, a 5-under 67 and a share
of the lead with Padraig Harrington going into a final round.
Sixteen players were separated by five strokes, a group that
included Tiger Woods after he birdied the final two holes.
Harrington recovered from a double bogey on No. 7 when he
skulled his bunker shot over the green. He finished with seven pars
and a 2-under 70 to join Haas at 11-under 205.
Fred Couples (69), Davis Love III (70) and defending champion
Craig Perks (70) were 9 under. Woods (68) was 6 under.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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