Golf: Sorenstam set to pounce at US Open

PORTLAND - It might be premature to crown Annika Sorenstam as the US Women's Open champion, but she was right where she wanted to be after the third round yesterday.

The super Swede shrugged off a sore throat to shoot the day's best score, a bogey-free four-under-par 67, to move within three strokes of surprise leader Hilary Lunke with one round left at Pumpkin Ridge.

"I'm happy with where I'm at. I would like to be in my shoes tomorrow," Sorenstam said.

Lunke, who has never finished better than 15th in an LPGA event, missed just one fairway to shoot 68, giving her a five-under 208, one stroke ahead of fellow American Angela Stanford.

Sorenstam was joined on a two-under 211 by halfway leader Mhairi McKay, of Scotland, South Korean Jeong Jang and Thai-born amateur Aree Song.

New Zealand's sole representative, Lynnette Brooky, had a horror second round which saw her miss the cut, firing a 14-over 85. It included four double-bogeys and a triple bogey seven on the par-four eighth.

Meanwhile, Michelle Wie's father and caddie has retracted an accusation that another player bumped his 13-year-old daughter during the opening round.

"There was no physical contact," BJ Wie said of the incident between Michelle and 37-year-old Danielle Ammaccapane.

"I misrepresented what happened."

It seems Ammaccapane merely waved at Wie to move when they were both lining up putts on the 14th green.

But Wie did not retract his assertion that Ammaccapane had verbally assaulted his daughter in the scoring hut after the first round, an incident that officials are investigating.

- AGENCIES