Golf
Roundup: Pettersson takes early lead at Honda Classic

By The Associated Press

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — All those worried about tough greens and high numbers in the Honda Classic must have wondered whether Carl Pettersson played the wrong course at Mirasol.

Pettersson was in the right place yesterday, and conditions could not have been better. The result was a 9-under 63, giving him a two-stroke lead and leaving everyone else thankful that PGA Tour officials went easy on them with the way the Sunrise Course was set up.

"It wasn't playing as tough as it could have," Pettersson said. "They've got the pins in slightly easier spots. They could put them in ridiculous places. Glad they didn't."

Mark Hensby, who faced slightly stronger breezes late in the afternoon, birdied four straight holes late in his round for a 65. Steve Flesch, Jesper Parnevik and Rory Sabbatini were another stroke back.

Pettersson, a 26-year-old Swede who moved to England when he was 10 and to North Carolina as a teenager, matched his best score on the PGA Tour with a bogey-free round.

Fred Couples, who predicted that 75 would be a mediocre score if the pins were tucked, shot 30 on his back nine and was in a large group at 68 that included Brad Faxon and Robert Allenby.

Davis Love III was cruising along at 5 under until he missed the green four straight times and got up-and-down from the collection area just three times. He wound up with a 69.

Lee shoots 60

in LPGA Tour opener

TUCSON, Ariz. — Jung Yeon Lee never realized she had two chances to become the second LPGA Tour player to shoot a 59.
 
The 25-year-old South Korean player matched the second-lowest round in LPGA history yesterday, carding a 10-under 60 to take a three-shot lead in the season-opening Welch's/Fry's Championship.

Lee, unaware that she had a chance to match Annika Sorenstam's historic 59, missed a 20-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 17th hole and a 10-footer on the 18th.

Karen Stupples was second with a 63, with Laura Davies and rookie Seol-An Jeon five shots off the lead, and Eva Dahllof, Jackie Gallagher-Smith and Stacy Prammanasudh at 66.

Lee's idol, fellow South Korean star Se Ri Pak, began her pursuit of the final victory she needs to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame with a 67, joining a group of four tied for eighth after bogeying the 16th and 17th holes.

In two previous LPGA seasons, Lee had four top-10 finishes, the best a tie for second last year in Lincoln, Calif. She set herself up for another strong finish with two eagles and six birdies through 16 holes.

Note

• Love found a way to erase contentious memories from the Match Play Championship, donating his $700,000 from finishing second to his church on St. Simons Island, Ga. "It hits you that there are more important things than golf," said Love, who lost to Tiger Woods two weeks ago.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company