The Hindu : Teske opens four-stroke lead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 23, 2003

Sport

Sport - Golf

Teske opens four-stroke lead

ROCHESTER (New York) June 22. Rachel Teske shot an even-par 72 on Saturday and extended her lead to four strokes after three rounds of the Rochester LPGA.

``I was kind of surprised — I thought somebody would be making a move but the conditions were pretty tough,'' the 31-year-old Australian said. ``I guess any time you shoot even-par and are still leading, it's a good day.''

Teske, looking for her second straight win, opened with two sub-70 rounds and was at 7-under 209 after a round that was played in a drizzle early at the tree-lined Locust Hill course.

Stephanie Louden, Brandie Burton and South Korea's Se Ri Pak and Soo-Yun Kang were tied for second at 213. Meg Mallon, the 2000 champion, was in a four-way tie at 214.

Pak, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour this year, struggled on the greens and shot a 72. ``I'm hitting a lot of fairways; I was great on the tee and now I just have a problem on the green,'' Pak said. ``My ball never found the cup, I don't know why.''

Teske, who beat Annika Sorenstam in a playoff last week, made a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 4, but gave that stroke back when she missed the fairway at No. 6 and two-putted for a bogey.

She saved par on No. 13, chipping to 5 feet from deep rough behind the green. She made a 15-foot (4.5-meter) par putt on the last hole after failing to get on the green with her approach shot because of a ``shocking lie.''

Defending champion Karrie Webb, a six-time major champion who also won here in 1999, shot a 73 and was at 218. First-round leader Tina Barrett shot a 75 and was at 215.

For the third straight year, Sorenstam skipped the US$1.2 million tournament, which is sponsored by Wegmans, a grocery store chain. — AP

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