GOLF ROUNDUP : Little Things Cost Andrews Big

One twitch of the putter cost Donna Andrews sole control of the lead Thursday in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Oakmont, Pa.

Andrews paid two strokes and--briefly--her composure on the 16th hole. With her ball frozen against the first cut of the fringe on the 16th, she stood over the putt and, in glancing toward the hole, inadvertently tapped the ball. It moved a few inches.

She backed away, then played out the hole, taking two more strokes and recording a five.

After completing her round with what she thought was a 68, she was met in the scorer’s tent by David Eger, the U.S. Golf Assn.’s Director of Rules and Competition.

After describing her actions on the hole, Eger told her she was subject to penalties for moving the ball while she was at address and failing to replace the ball in its original position.

She broke into tears after the penalties that dropped her back into a tie for the lead at 69.

Andrews, 25, is in her third season on the LPGA Tour. “I didn’t understand the rule, but now I do,” she said.

One hole cost Dottie Mochrie.

Mochrie’s three-putt double bogey on the final hole knocked her out of the top spot, which Andrews shared with Patty Sheehan, Muffin Spencer-Devlin, Nancy Ramsbottom and Tracy Kerdyk.

Pam Wright of Scotland and Kris Tschetter also had 70s before an afternoon thunderstorm caused a 3-hour 58-minute delay and disrupted the tournament schedule, leaving many golfers on the course to complete first-round play.

Rookie Bob Friend had seven birdies in a round of 64 over the par-71, 7,110-yard Pleasant Valley Country Club course at Sutton, Mass., to take the first-round lead of the New England Classic.

Mike Smith, who has played on both the PGA and European tours, had a trouble-free 65 with six birdies and only one hole that forced him to struggle for par. After a 65-minute rain delay, former Pleasant Valley champion Roger Maltbie and tour regular Brian Claar matched Smith’s score.

Rookie Phil Mickelson, still trying to make his first cut as a professional after a sterling amateur career, shot a 66 to join seven others at two shots back.

Two contenders in last week’s British Open kept up their solid play. John Cook, runner-up to Nick Faldo at Muirfield, and fourth-place Steve Pate each shot 68s.

Tiger Woods shot a four-under par 68 on the South Course at Torrey Pines to open a five-stroke lead after the third round of the Optimist Junior World Golf Championships.

Woods, trying for a record seventh title, had five birdies and one bogey for a nine-under 207 going into today’s final round. Gilberto Morales of Caracas, Venezuela, shot a 71 and is in second place.