Golf Briefs MERRITT LEADS; WOODS FADING

gainesville, va.» Troy Merritt couldn’t miss Saturday at the Quicken Loans National and Tiger Woods couldn’t make anything.

Merritt set a a tournament record by shooting a 10-under-par 61, bolting to the top of the leaderboard before the leading contenders teed off. It held up too. Several players made runs at joining him at 14under overall, but only Kevin Chappell, another veteran seeking a breakthrough victory, didn’t fade in the searing heat at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Woods, who seemed to signal a return to contending golf Friday with a 66 that moved him within three strokes of the lead, was errant off the tee early and watched several birdie putts slide by the hole.

While Merritt recorded 11 birdies and a bogey, on the par-5 eighth, Woods didn’t make his first birdie until a 17-foot putt dropped on the par-4 15th. He hit his tee shot on the 187-yard 16th to inches, flashing a huge smile on the tee box, then made a bogey at the par-4 18th to finish with a 3-over 74. He will start Sunday nine shots back. turnberry, scotland» JinYoung Ko, 20, of South Korea and Teresa Lu of Taiwan shot 3-under-par 69s and shared the lead after the third round of the Women’s British Open, with each player chasing a first major title. Secondround leader Suzann Pettersen was one stroke behind their 8-under total of 208 after shooting a 72 on the Ailsa links course.

blaine, minn.» Defending champion Kenny Perry made a hole-in-one and matched the 3M Championship record with an 11-under 61, taking a four-stroke lead in the Champions Tour event.

Perry played the first eight holes in 7-under, making his ace on the 188-yard fourth hole.