Rosales leads wide-open Open
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. A swift charge by Annika Sorenstam. Massive cheers for Michelle Wie. None of it bothered Jennifer Rosales, who surged ahead with a 2-under 69 on Saturday in a U.S. Women's Open that is shaping up as one for the ages.
A free spirit with her own sense of fashion, Rosales pumped her fists and slapped hands with her caddie around Orchard Golf Club until she walked off the 18th with a three-shot lead over Sorenstam (70), Meg Mallon (67) and Kelly Robbins (68).
Rosales was at 7-under 206 and now faces the real test a final round at the biggest event in women's golf, with the No. 1 player in the world not far behind on a golf course that is starting to punish the slightest mistakes.
Wie found that out on an 18th hole that spoiled her day.
The 14-year-old from Hawaii recovered from a poor front nine with shots beyond her years, the most impressive an 8-iron into 6 feet for birdie on the 439-yard 16th hole, the third-longest in Women's Open history.
But it all came undone on the 18th, when her drive bounced into the rough, her approach sailed into the gallery and she three-putted for double bogey and a 71 that left her at 1-under 212, in a tie for seventh but still six shots behind Rosales.
Western Open
LEMONT, Ill. Stephen Ames shot a 7-under 64 for a share of the third-round lead in the Western Open with Mark Hensby.
Ames, from Trinidad and Tobago and now living in Calgary, Alberta, matched Hensby at 9-under 204 on Cog Hill's Dubsdread Clurse. Hensby, from Australia, shot a 67.
Geoff Ogilvy (68) was a stroke back, Stuart Appleby (67) and Steve Lowery (70) were 7 under, and three-time winner Tiger Woods (65), Jim Furyk (68) and Mike Small (69) were 5 under.
Long Island Classic
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. Jerry Pate took a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Champions Tour's Long Island Classic, shooting a 4-under 66 for a 10-under 130 total.
Pate, the 1978 U.S. Open champion whose PGA Tour career was cut short by a series of shoulder injuries, is in his first year on the tour for players 50 and older.
Bobby Wadkins (68) was second, and Tom Jenkins (66) and Mike Hill (67) were another stroke back. Defending champion Jim Thorpe (69) and Wayne Levi (67) were 6 under.
European Open
STRAFFAN, Ireland U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen shot an even-par 72 to take a one-stroke lead in the European Open.
The South African star, ahead by two strokes after two rounds, had a 9-under 207 total.
Spain's Jose Manuel Lara (67) was second, and England's Lee Westwood (71) was two strokes back.