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Pak (63) Doesn’t Slow Down

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<i> From Associated Press</i>

The sign near the 10th green made Se Ri Pak giggle: “Tiger Out. Pak In.”

In a showing similar to Tiger Woods in the 1997 Masters, Pak followed an LPGA-record 61 by birdieing seven of the final nine holes on the way to an eight-under-par 63 and a nine-shot lead through Saturday’s third round of the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic at Sylvania, Ohio.

“Everything feels great now,” said the 20-year-old South Korean rookie, who won the U.S. Women’s Open on Monday in a 20-hole playoff with amateur Jenny Chuasiriporn.

On the heels of her 10-under 61, the lowest score ever in an LPGA event, Pak completed the lowest consecutive rounds ever on either of the LPGA or PGA tours.

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After shooting par 71 in the opening round, she now stands at 18-under 195. Karrie Webb shot a 67, the next-best round of the day, and was alone in second at nine under.

Pak said she preferred not to be compared to Woods, whom she has never met.

“I just want my style,” she said. “Not Tiger Woods’ style.”

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A mistake on the 17th hole was all that separated Gil Morgan and Hale Irwin after the third round of the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich.

Morgan played it safe and walked off with a one-stroke lead over Irwin, who bogeyed after hitting his approach on the next-to-last hole in the water. Morgan shot a four-under 68 for a 201 total while Irwin had a third-round 67.

Bob Murphy put on a superb putting display to shoot a 64 and was at 203. Jack Nicklaus, the sentimental favorite, had a 72 and was well off the pace at 209.

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Defending champion David Toms shot what he called a “stress-free” five-under 65 for a one-shot lead over Scott Gump after three rounds of the $1.55-million Quad City Classic at Coal Valley, Ill. Toms’ third 65 in as many days left him at 195, 15 under for 54 holes over the 6,762-yard Oakwood Country Club course.

“Someone asked me, ‘How about four 65s? Wouldn’t that be great?’ ” he said. “I said, ‘Yeah, but it might not win.’ ”

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Frank Lickliter and Steve Jones, who shared the 36-hole lead, had 68s Saturday and were joined at 197 by Kenny Perry, who shot a 67, and D.A. Weibring, a three-time Quad City champion who shot 65.

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England’s Lee Westwood won the Loch Lomond tournament by four strokes at Glasgow, Scotland, to reclaim the No. 1 spot in European golf and set himself up for a $1-million bonus if he wins next week’s British Open.

Front-Runners

Leaders after three rounds in respective tournaments (complete scores, C13):

LPGA Jamie Farr Kroger Classic--Par 71

Se Ri Pak: 71-61-63--195 -18

Karrie Webb: 67-70-67--204 -9

Lisa Hackney: 69-68-68--205 -8

Cindy Figg-Currier: 68-69-68--205 -8

Lorie Kane: 68-69-68--205 -8

Meg Mallon: 66-71-68--205 -8

Dana Dormann: 64-70-71--205 -8

Vickie Odegard: 64-70-71--205 -8

Senior Players Championship--Par 72

Gil Morgan: 69-64-68--201 -15

Hale Irwin: 66-69-67--202 -14

Bob Murphy: 67-72-64--203 -13

PGA Quad City Classic--Par 70

David Toms: 65-65-65--195 -15

Scott Gump: 65-67-64--196 -14

D.A. Weibring: 64-68-65--197 -13

Kenny Perry: 65-65-67--197 -13

Frank Lickliter: 65-64-68--197 -13

Steve Jones: 64-65-68--197 -13

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