Tiger’s niece roars to top
American Cheyenne Woods will take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Australian Ladies’ Masters in Gold Coast, after shooting a 2-under 71 on Saturday to stay on track for her first professional win.
The 23-year-old niece of Tiger Woods was at 12-under 207. Stacey Lee Bregman of South Africa (72), who shared the lead with Woods at the start of the round, was in second, a stroke ahead of 17-year-old Min
jee Lee (69), the Australian amateur champion. Co-first-round-leader Jessica Korda of the U.S. (74) was eight shots back.
Woods mixed seven birdies with five bogies, but four of the birds came on her last five holes. She acknowledged feeling nervous. “I’m proud with how I was able to fight through today,” she said. “Tomorrow’s just going to be another day to get through.
“It would be a huge accomplishment (to win). ”
Jimmy Walker overcame a cold wind to build a six-shot lead in the wind-delayed third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach (Calif.) National Pro-Am. Walker made his first bogey of the tournament, but had five birdies in 30 mph gusts at Monterey Peninsula for a 4-under 67 and a 13-under 202 total in seeking his third victory of the young PGA season. Tim Wilkinson of New Zealand had a 69, and Hunter Mah
an had a 72, both at Monterey, and are tied for second. Jordan Spieth, tied with Walker entering play, was 5-over at Pebble Beach through 15 holes when the round — delayed for 2 hours, 19 minutes because golf balls were rolling off some of the greens — was halted by darkness.
In Boca Raton, Fla., Michael Allen birdied four of his last eight holes for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot lead over Scott Dun
lap (67) and Chien Soon Lu (65) after two rounds of the Allianz Championship, a day after becoming the ninth player to shoot a 60 on the Champions Tour.
JAZZ STUNS HEAT
Marvin Williams scored 23 points and rookie Trey Burke hit a jumper with 24 seconds left to lift the host Jazz over the Heat, 94-89, in a game in which LeBron James shot 4-for-13 for just 13 points. Trailing 87-79 after Williams hit two 3-pointers, the Heat went on a 10-4 run to draw within two with :46 to play. Burke then drained the clutch 19-foot jumper to beat the shot clock.
Zach Randolph scored 20 points and the visiting Grizzlies held the host Hawks to a season low in points, 79-76, despite going to the free throw line just once — an NBA record in the shot clock era.
CHELSEA TAKES OVER FIRST
Eden Hazard scored a hat trick as host
Chelsea moved atop the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Newcastle while Liver
pool drubbed leader Arsenal, 5-1, at Anfield and third-place Manchester City was held to a goalless draw at Norwich.
U.S. IN FED CUP HOLE
Karin Knapp and Camila Giorgi won the opening singles matches to give Italy a 2-0 lead over the United States in their Fed Cup quarterfinal on a hard indoor court in Cleveland. Knapp beat Christina McHale, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, at Cleveland Public Auditorium, and then Giorgi routed Madison Keys, 6-2, 6-1. Since World Group play began in 1995, the U.S. is 0-10 after falling behind 0-2. The winner will face the Spain-Czech Republic winner in the semifinals in April.
CASHNER AN ARBITRATION WINNER
San Diego’s Andrew Cashner won and Cleveland’s Vinnie Pestano lost as pitchers split decisions in baseball’s first salary arbitration cases in two years.
Cashner will make $2.4 million rather than the club’s offer of $2,275,000 — the smallest gap this year among cases that didn’t settle. Pestano, among four Indians left in arbitration, will make $975,000 instead of his request for $1.45 million. Cashner, a 27-year-old righthander, was 10-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 26 starts and five relief appearances last season, when he made $500,800. Pestano, a righty who turns 29 on Feb. 20, was 1-2 with a 4.08 ERA in 37 relief appearances last year and made $501,900.