Cook Sets Table for Big Series Finish

Cheered by a partisan crowd in Akron, Ohio, hometown favorite John Cook, with a mid-round birdie run, shot a three-under-par 67 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Phil Mickelson in the World Series of Golf.

Cook, who is at six-under 204, grew up in Akron and played Little League baseball while his father, Jim, coached football at the University of Akron. John now calls Rancho Mirage home and Jim is the tournament manager for the World Series and also the Las Vegas Invitational.

In 1992, the younger Cook won the Las Vegas tournament and was presented the first-place trophy and check by his father. That could happen again today.

After starting his round with seven pars, Cook birdied the eighth hole by rolling in a 20-foot putt, the ninth with an eight-foot putt and then hit an eight-iron to four feet at the 10th for another birdie.

Second-round leader Dudley Hart, ahead by two shots starting the day, triple-bogeyed the par-four fourth hole. He followed that with back-to-back bogeys and finished with a 76, leaving him six shots behind Cook.

Mickelson, meanwhile, made a big charge with a 66 that included a course-record-tying 30 on the back nine. He birdied the 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th, a run that included a 60-foot putt at 14 and a 35-footer at 15.

Tiger Woods, troubled by ongoing putting problems, managed a 69 and was tied for fifth at two-under 208.

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One year after losing to Woods in the semifinals, Stanford’s Joel Kribel advanced to the championship match of the U.S. Amateur at Lemont, Ill., by defeating Walker Cup teammate Brad Elder, 3 and 1.

Kribel, of Pleasanton, Calif., will meet surprise finalist Matt Kuchar of Lake Mary, Fla., in today’s 36-hole match at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club. Kuchar, from Georgia Tech, rolled to a 6 and 5 victory over Walker Cup player Randy Leen.

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Mark Calcavecchia, thriving with a putter he swiped from Jeff Maggert, shot a six-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Payne Stewart in the Greater Vancouver Open at Surrey, Canada.

Calcavecchia, missing his putter after breaking it in disgust the day before, couldn’t find one to his liking until he spotted a Ping Anser model in Maggert’s locker. Since Maggert was out on the course, Calcavecchia simply lifted it and away he went on his way to a 14-under 199 total.

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One day after shooting a 63, South African Hugh Baiocchi shot a 65 at the Saint Luke’s Classic at Belton, Mo., for the lowest two-day total on the Senior PGA Tour this year but still led Jay Sigel by only one stroke. Sigel, with a 29 on the back nine that included a missed 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, shot a 64.

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Dottie Pepper, a four-time winner last year who has only two top-five finishes this season, shot a six-under 66 for a 134 total and a two-stroke lead over Kim Williams, Kelly Robbins and Colleen Walker in the Star Bank LPGA Classic at Beavercreek, Ohio.

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Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam, with a triple bogey on the 13th hole, shot a 73 but still extended her lead over Nancy Lopez to four shots going into the final round of the Compaq Open at Stockholm. . . . Defending champion Per-Ulrik Johansson of Sweden shot a six-under 66 in a soaking rain to move into a four-stroke lead in the European Open at Dublin, Ireland.