Golf: Hot Hoch eats into Love's lead

Davis Love's lead was trimmed to one stroke after a charge from Scott Hoch in the third round of the $US3.6 million ($8.9 million) Western Open in Illinois yesterday.

Love led by five shots after he chipped in for a birdie at the 15th.

But Hoch reeled off birdies at each of the final four holes to put the pressure right back on his fellow American.

Love, who bogeyed the second hole before bad weather halted play for more than two hours, shot a 69 for a 14-under total of 202, while Hoch carded a 66 for 203.

Mark Wiebe (67) and Brandel Chamblee (70) were four strokes off the pace, and Phil Mickelson (67) was on his own on 207.

New Zealand's Frank Nobilo was in a group of 15 players, including Tiger Woods, at 209, after an even-par 72 yesterday. Woods, back in form after identifying a swing fault on the range on Saturday, returned a 68.

Love only entered the tournament after missing the cut at last week's Greater Hartford Open in Connecticut.

He returned to the tour for the US Open last month after being out of action for two months while nursing an aggravated disc in his neck, and he did not want to risk being under prepared for the forthcoming British Open.

"If he wins here and I finish second, I'm going to be ticked off, because he wasn't supposed to be here," said Hoch, who is playing with a sore left wrist.

Love and Hoch have both won this year - Love at Pebble Beach and Hoch in Greensboro.

"We're in the same boat," Love said. "You don't want to give away a chance to win anywhere."

nte Woods, who said he had lost "three-to-five yards" of distance recently, had trouble with his distance control early in the round - which led to his two double bogeys.

But once he regained his touch he was back to his brilliant best.

"Once I trusted my own yardages, I was alright," he said.

"I had a good vibe over the ball. I haven't had that for a bit."

* Sweden's Mikael Lundberg held his nerve after a torrid start to the third round of the European Open at Straffan, Ireland, yesterday, birdying the last to take a narrow one-shot lead into the final day.

Lundberg, who carded a level-par 72 to move to 12-under 204, can now become Sweden's third winner of the event - and the second Swedish rookie to win on this year's European Tour following Henrik Stenson's triumph in the Benson and Hedges International.

Lundberg surrendered his three-stroke overnight advantage with early bogeys, but he refused to capitulate over the notorious closing holes.

Only one player surged through the field on the third day, Sweden's 1999 Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin, who fired a joint weekend best of seven-under 65 to lie just one off the lead on 205.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell is within striking distance after a one-under 71 yesterday. He is at 208 in a clutch of players.

* Pak Se-ri is on course to win one of her favourite tournaments for the third time in four years after racing four strokes clear in the $US1 million LPGA Jamie Farr Kroger Classic at Sylvania, Ohio.

The 23-year-old South Korean followed up her second-round 62 with a 69 at the Highland Meadows Golf Club to finish at 12-under 201.

American trio Kris Tschetter (68), Meg Mallon (68) and Heather Bowie (71) shared second place on 205.

Seven players were on 207, including Australia's Karrie Webb, who became the youngest woman to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the LPGA Championship a fortnight ago.

Pak is seeking her fourth title of the year. She won this event in 1998 and 1999, and finished third last year.

New Zealander Marnie McGuire is in a share of 13th place on 208, after back-to-back 69s.

- AGENCIES