Wie poised to finally earn card

Published 11:24 pm Saturday, December 6, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Michelle Wie is in the final group at a golf tournament for the first in more than two years, this time without the pressure of trying to win her first tournament as a pro.

Wie saved par on three of her last four holes Saturday for a 4-under 68 that left her one shot behind former NCAA champion Stacy Lewis at the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament, where the only goal is to leave LPGA headquarters with a full-time job.

Better than being in second place, Wie was nine shots clear of the cutoff for the top 20 players to earn their cards.

Lewis hit a delicate pitch over the bunker to an elevated green for a tap-in birdie on the par-5 16th, sending her to a 5-under 67 and the lead at 15-under 273.

Wie went bunker-to-bunker on the 15th and escaped with par, made birdie from the greenside bunker on the 16th, hit a tough chip down the slope to save par on the 17th and closed out her round with another tough bunker save on the 18th to finish at 14-under 274.

Nelsons, Kites tied for lead

Larry Nelson brought a different son and wound up in a familiar spot Saturday as he and Drew Nelson put together an 11-under 61 to share the lead with Tom and David Kite in the Del Webb Father-Son Championship in Orlando, Fla.

Greg Norman and his son Gregory were another shot behind in the scramble format.

Nelson, a three-time major champion and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, won the Father-Son last year with 29-year-old Josh Nelson, his youngest son. Drew Nelson, 32, won the title with his father four years ago.

Stenson extends lead in Sun City

Henrik Stenson of Sweden shot a 7-under 65 Saturday to extend his lead to eight shots after the third round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa.

Stenson held a four-stroke lead after finishing the rain-interrupted second round earlier Saturday, and sat at 17-under 199 heading into today’s final round. Robert Karlsson of Sweden shot 67.