Without the winds of the first two days, conditions were perfect and he birdied four of the first six holes. It could have been even better, his eagle attempt at the second just missing, but then he holed an outrageous putt at the sixth when he let the ball die over a ridge and then turn into the hole.He got within one stroke of Sutton but the half-way leader responded in kind with the hottest of putters. His five birdies in an outward 31 included two from over 20 feet and another from the fringe.Sutton’s lead at the turn was six, as Woods missed a short par-putt at the tenth, having done the hard part by playing an exquisite parachute recovery. Annoyed, perhaps, Woods played a fairway bunker shot from 202 yards to four feet to set-up an eagle at the 11th.Sutton won the Players in 1983 in the second year the tournament was played at a venue designed by Pete Dye but created in the imagination by the then US Tour commissioner Deane Beman. The idea was to create a course so tough the punters would queue up for 18 holes of humiliation It worked for Carnoustie.

There has not been a spare tee-time since the Open.The course has matured over the years, much like Sutton, now a contented father of three. “They like to get this course at the edge of greatness,” Sutton said “I think it is a great test. You have to be smart enough to know when to hit the accelerator and when to hit the brake. It’s easy constantly to do one or the other but here you have to switch between offence and defence.”David Duval was the only player to master the venue a year ago but the world No 2 counted out his chances after finishing at two over despite a bogey-free 70. The world No 3, Colin Montgomerie, started at level par but was unable to progress as he would have liked until he birdied the last two holes for a 70. His tee shot at the 17th finished four feet away and then he holed from 20 feet at the last.Montgomerie said: “Today was as easy as this course plays and I didn’t take advantage.” He missed the fairway at the three par-fives which are reachable, failing to make birdie at any of them, and had two three-putt bogeys “The game was OK The two-three finish was a bonus.

You’d take a three-four finish and run, so that evened things up.”Collated totals after the third round of the Players Championship at TPC at Sawgrass, Ponde Vedra Beach, Florida (US unless stated, par 72):207 H Sutton 69 69 69 208 T Woods 71 71 66 211 T Lehman 71 68 72 212 J Sluman 75 71 66 213 C Parry (Aus) 70 74 69, L Janzen 70 73 70 214 R Damron 78 70 66, P Azinger 75 69 70, C Montgomerie (GB) 75 69 70, E Els (SA) 73 69 72, S Dunlap 73 70 71 215 F Funk 74 73 68, G Chalmers (Aus) 71 75 69, L Mattiace 70 72 73 216 J Leonard 71 76 69, J Maggert 77 68 71, S Hoch 73 75 68, J Carter 73 71 72 217 S Verplank 75 74 68, S Cink 75 73 69, K Perry 70 77 70, C Perry 76 70 71, B Mayfair 70 74 73, N Price (Zim) 73 71 73 218 S Pate 76 74 68, D Duval 75 73 70, M Brooks 72 75 71 219 M O’Meara 75 74 70, G Kraft 77 72 70, H Frazar 77 70 72, G Norman (Aus) 75 71 73, C Franco (Par) 73 73 73, C Pavin 72 73 74, S Ames (Tri) 72 72 75, J Furyk 72 72 75, , B Fabel 70 74 75, O Uresti 71 68 80 220 R Black 74 76 70, I Woosnam (GB) 76 74 70, S Appleby (Aus) 72 77 71, JP Hayes 73 76 71, D Sutherland 75 74 71, W Austin 77 72 71, F Lickliter 75 74 71, D Love 73 75 72, N Ozaki (Jap) 70 77 73, S Gump 72 75 73 221 S Lowery 76 74 71, O Browne 77 73 71, R Cochran 77 73 71, P Lawrie (GB) 76 74 71, D Toms 77 72 72, T Bjorn (Den) 76 73 72, E Toledo (Mex) 75 74 72, B Chamblee 74 74 73, K Triplett 75 72 74, B Langer (Ger) 70 76 75, K Wentworth 74 72 75, R Allenby (Aus) 73 71 77 222 L Westwood (GB) 77 73 72, S Jones 80 70 72, S Flesch 79 71 72, J Kelly 79 70 73, V Singh (Fij) 75 73 74, B Watts 77 71 74, C Barlow 71 76 75, D Barron 72 74 76, S McCarron 78 67 77, F Allem (SA) 75 65 82 223 F Couples 77 73 73 224 J Daly 77 73 74, N Henke 78 70 76, T Kite 75 72 77 225 C Riley 73 77 75, D Forsman 77 73 75, N Faldo (GB) 73 76 76, D Frost (SA) 78 69 78 226 B Faxon 79 71 76, B Glasson 74 72 80, T Tryba 75 71 80. Australia’s Karrie Webb staged a runaway in the first Major of the women’s season with a third round five under par 67 in the Nabisco Championship at Palm Springs, California on Saturday. Australia’s Karrie Webb staged a runaway in the first Major of the women’s season with a third round five under par 67 in the Nabisco Championship at Palm Springs, California on Saturday.
On 12 under par 204, the world number one, who has had four wins and a second in an amazing start to the year, finished eight shots ahead of defending champion Dottie Pepper and 10 ahead of the next trio that included the amazing 13-year-old Thai twin, Aree Song Wongluekiet.Playing alongside Scotland’s Janice Moodie – who birdied the first five holes for a 70 to lead the European challenge in joint ninth place on level par 216 – the amazing young amateur invitee fired a flawless 68.She had three birdies in the front nine from close range – she almost holed a wedge shot for an eagle three at the 508 yard ninth – and made another from three feet at the 12th.Not even Webb managed a round without a bogey.”I had good fun and wasn’t too nervous. I try not to worry too much,” said the composed teenager, whose gallery had included her sister Naree who had missed the cut.Moodie, naturally, was highly impressed “She’s a great young player,” said the 26-year-old. “She’s very strong both physically and mentally, but I just hope the twins aren’t rushed into turning professional.”While Aree hit form, Trish Johnson, who had been fifth overnight, slipped back with a 78 to drop out of contention on five over 221.Webb, three ahead overnight, was never seriously challenged.She was four ahead by the time she reached the turn in 34 and three birdies in a row from the 14th set her on course to add this major to the du Maurier Classic she won last August.As for Pepper, she hurt her back when she slipped on the range. After shooting a 72 she immediately headed to the fitness trailer for treatment.Scores from the third round of the $1.25 million 2000 Nabisco Championship, played on the 6,520-yard par-72 Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills Country Club in Ranco Mirage, California (a) denotes amateur:Karrie Webb 67-70-67-204 Dottie Pepper 68-72-72-212 (a) Aree Song Wongluekiet 75-71-68-214 Pat Hurst 72-72-70-214 Chris Johnson 73-68-73-214 Michele Redman 73-73-69-215 Wendy Doolan 73-73-69-215 Lorie Kane 71-71-73-215 Janice Moodie 74-72-70-216 Cathy Johnston-Forbes 74-71-71-216 Kim Saiki 72-77-68-217 Barb Mucha 77-71-70-218 Meg Mallon 75-70-73-218 Carin Koch 79-70-70-219 Fumiko Muraguchi 78-71-70-219 Nancy Scranton 78-70-71-219 Helen Dobson 73-74-72-219 Rosie Jones 74-71-74-219 Alison Nicholas 71-74-74-219 Charlotta Sorenstam 75-75-70-220 Brandie Burton 74-75-71-220 Kristi Albers 77-71-72-220 Juli Inkster 76-71-73-220 Nanci Bowen 75-72-73-220 Barb Whitehead 70-76-74-220 Beth Daniel 70-75-75-220Selected OthersKelly Robbins 79-69-73-221 Annika Sorenstam 76-72-73-221 Sherri Steinhauer 73-71-77-221 Se Ri Pak 73-71-77-221 Trish Johnson 72-71-78-221 Patty Sheehan 74-75-73-222 Catriona Matthew 72-77-73-222 Rachel Hetherington 69-78-75-222 Nancy Lopez 78-72-73-223 Dawn Coe-Jones 76-72-75-223 Sherri Turner 77-70-76-223 Laura Davies 71-74-78-223 Tammie Green 74-76-74-224 Akiko Fukushima 74-76-74-224 Liselotte Neumann 75-74-75-224 Catrin Nilsmark 77-71-76-224 Jane Geddes 74-72-78-224 Tina Barrett 73-72-79-224 Kathryn Marshall 77-74-74-225 Cindy McCurdy 75-74-76-225 Becky Iverson 75-74-76-225 Helen Alfredsson 72-77-77-226.

Australia’s Karrie Webb had a hole in one as she cruised to her second major victory in the Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills, Palm Springs, California, today. Australia’s Karrie Webb had a hole in one as she cruised to her second major victory in the Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills, Palm Springs, California, today.
The 25-year-old, with four wins and a second already this year, started the day with an eight shot lead on 12 under par 204 and had increased it to ten over defending champion Dottie Pepper by the time she holed out with a six iron at the 170 yard fifth.Thai twin Aree Song Wongluekiet, who started the day in joint third on two under, maintained her incredible run.Her third round 68 was only surpassed by Webb’s 67 and it earned her a place in the final threesome on the final day.In the company of Webb and Pepper she held her won by covering the opening stretch in level par.England’s Helen Dobson, who finished second two years ago, mounted a final day charge. After six birdies in the first 11 holes she was two under and in joint fourth place.But Trish Johnson, fifth at halfway but down the field after a third round 78, was disqualified after failing to sign her scorecard. The first player to finish, she had shot 73 for six over 294..

John Reynolds is the early leader of the British Superbike Championship after a victory and a fourth place in yesterday’s opening round here at the Kent circuit. John Reynolds is the early leader of the British Superbike Championship after a victory and a fourth place in yesterday’s opening round here at the Kent circuit.
James Haydon won the second race and the Red Bull Ducati rider briefly held the lap record he broke last year on a Suzuki before the 34-year-old Reynolds shattered the mark to complete a triumphant day for the team.Haydon is second in the points table, a place he shares with the Virgin Yamaha R7 rider Steve Hislop, who finished in second and third places.Reynolds took the opening win with some thrilling overtaking moves after a race-long duel with Hislop and the Suzuki GSX-R750 of Chris Walker.Niall Mackenzie, the three-times champion and title favourite, made a disappointing start to his challenge after a switch from Yamaha to a Ducati 996 over the winter. Sixth in the opening race, the 38-year-old former grand prix rider crashed without injury on lap two of the second leg.BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP (Brands Hatch) Round one:First race: 1 J Reynolds (Ducati) 22min 00.774sec (ave 93.63mph); 2 C Walker (Suzuki) 22:01.018; 3 S Hislop (Yamaha) 22:02.067; 4 N Hodgson (Ducati) 22:05.599; 5 J Haydon (Ducati) 22:06.965; 6 N Mackenzie (Ducati) 22:18.604. Fastest lap: Haydon 46.546sec (94.84mph).Second race: 1 Haydon 21:58.241 (93.81mph); 2 Hislop 22:01.659; 3 Hodgson 22:02.675; 4 Reynolds 22:03.509; 5 Walker 22:03.862; 6 J Crawford (Suzuki) 22:16.804. Fastest lap: Reynolds 46.424sec (95.09mph – lap record).Championship standings 1 Reynolds 38; =2 Hislop 36; =2 Haydon 36; 4 Walker 31; 5 Hodgson 29; 6 P Brown 17..