Associated Press
Saturday, March 25
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Karrie Webb found notes in her locker this week from two ardent fans, explaining how she was their favorite player and asking if they could ever play together.
Aree Wongluekiet, the 13-year-old author of one of the notes, will get her wish sooner than she expected thanks to a bogey-free 4-under 68 Saturday in the Nabisco Championship.
Webb, the 25-year-old who's dominated the LPGA Tour in recent years, and Wongluekiet, who likely represents its future, will join Dottie Pepper in Sunday's final group.
Webb pulled away from the rest of the field with a 5-under 67 for an eight-shot lead over an aching Pepper in pursuit of the LPGA's first major of the year.
Wongluekiet and her twin sister, Naree, both the second-youngest ever to play in an LPGA tournament, left the notes for Webb. Naree missed the cut, but she'll be following along Sunday.
"When I was 13, I still had a 15-handicap, so I definitely wouldn't have been messing around playing on the LPGA," Webb said. "I just can't imagine what's going through her mind right now at
13 years old in the last group of a major."
Wongluekiet, a native of Thailand who lives in Bradenton, Fla., had the second-lowest round ever by an amateur at the Nabisco. She's tied for third with 1998 Nabisco champion Pat Hurst (70) and Chris Johnson (73) at 2-under 214.
Can Aree catch Webb?
"I'll try, but probably not," she said.
The rest of the field knows the feeling.
"We're playing for second place," Hurst said.
Webb is a dominant frontrunner. Since 1996, she has led 16 times going into the final round and won nine tournaments.
"If the people behind you aren't doing anything, sometimes it's easy to bog down and just play the same sort of golf that they're playing," she said. "I tried to still play aggressively and shoot as low as I could."
Webb had six birdies and one bogey in her 67, the same score she had in Thursday's first round. Her 12-under 204 total was one off the 54-hole record of 203 set by Amy Alcott in 1988 and equaled by Pepper last year.
"It's probably the best I've hit it," said Webb, who has won four of her first five events this year. "Am I conscious? I don't feel like it out there."
Webb's only glitch was bogeying the 380-yard fourth. She missed the fairway to the right and chipped to 10 feet, but missed the putt. Otherwise, four of her six birdies came on par-4s.
"I did realize that when Dottie and Chris started making some bogeys on the back nine that no one else had really done anything, so it just made it easier to fire at the pin," she said. "I was just trying to increase my lead as much as I could."
Pepper, the defending champion, shot a 72 for the second straight day, with three bogeys on the back nine. She played in pain because of back spasms that occurred as a result of her left foot slipping out from under her on wet grass at the practice range.
"My back is just fired up right now," said Pepper, who required treatment afterward. "I had a minimal amount of feeling from the belt down. On the first tee, I didn't know if I'd make it to the first green. To shoot even-par is pretty substantial."
Wongluekiet has a new goal after achieving her first goal of making the cut.
"The best ever finish by an amateur is fourth, so I'll try and beat that," she said, "but not worry too much about it, just go out there and try and play my game."
Wongluekiet had four birdies, including one on the par-5, 508-yard ninth hole.
Asked if she was ever in danger of making a bogey, Wongluekiet cracked up the media by saying, "Every single hole. There's always a possibility."
The closest she came was on the par-4, 403-yard 13th hole. Her drive went right and landed behind some trees. She punched out of the rough about 75 yards to the fairway, then pitched to 12 feet past the hole and made the par putt.
"She's a great player, all around," said Janice Moodie, one of Wongluekiet's playing partners. "She didn't miss a beat."
Michele Redman, Wendy Doolan and Lorie Kane were at 1-under 215. Moodie and Cathy Johnston-Forbes are at even-par 216.
Divots
The lowest round ever by an amateur in the Nabisco was a 66 by Caroline Keggi in the third round of the '88 tournament. Keggi shot 69 on the final day and wound up fourth.
The last time Webb failed to win after taking a lead into the final 18 holes was last week in Phoenix. She led by two strokes at the start and shot 70 to finish second to Charlotta Sorenstam.
Annika Sorenstam was at 5-over 221 after making Friday's cut by one stroke.
Judy Rankin, whose record of 25 top-10 finishes in 1977 still stands, was nominated for the LPGA Hall of Fame by the tour's veteran's committee. She needs 75 percent of the vote by the tour's tournament division when it meets May 2 in Austin, Texas, to gain admittance.
Saturday, March 25
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Karrie Webb found notes in her locker this week from two ardent fans, explaining how she was their favorite player and asking if they could ever play together.
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| Aree Song Wongluekiet, 13, will be in the final threesome with Karrie Webb and Dottie Pepper. |
