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Kim Takes Over Wachovia Lead

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The Associated Press

Published: May 4, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Quail Hollow Club's tree-lined, old-style setup has produced an impressive list of winners, ranging from Vijay Singh to Jim Furyk to last year's champion, Tiger Woods.

With Woods unable to defend his Wachovia Championship title following knee surgery, Anthony Kim moved a step away from joining that elite group - a month shy of his 23rd birthday.

The steady, focused and less flamboyant Kim shot a 6-under 66 Saturday to take a four-shot lead against Jason Bohn and Heath Slocum after the third round.

While Kim still sports the signature shiny belt buckle with his initials, the big hitter's recent focus on his game left him at 13 under and as close as ever to his first PGA Tour win.

But the best way to describe how Kim has changed was not the long drives and six birdies Saturday, it was a short punch out on the third hole, when he decided not to try a low-percentage shot to reach the green.

"Six months ago I would have tried to go for it, and there was double or triple bogey written all over that," Kim said. "I chipped out, saved par, and that kept my round going. Little things like that have added to some good play."

Kim passed Bohn, the second-round leader and his playing partner, by sinking a 9-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole. Kim added another birdie at No. 14, then navigated through the course's tough closing stretch with his best golf of the round.

After getting up and down for par on the 17th, Kim ripped a 324-yard drive on No. 18 and hit his second shot to 7 feet. He made the birdie putt and calmly walked off the course as the only golfer without a bogey on his scorecard and well ahead of one of the strongest non-major fields on the tour.

"I feel like I'm ready," Kim said of trying to become the eighth golfer in his 20s to win this year, "but you never know."

Bohn recovered from a poor day of putting with a chip-in for par on the 18th for a 72 and a second-place tie with Slocum. But Bohn was in awe of what he saw from Kim.

"It was awesome to chip in on the last hole, but I didn't play as well as I wanted to today," Bohn said. "I played with somebody who played extraordinarily good, almost Tiger-esque. He hit a lot of great shots. So it was fun. I got to watch good golf anyhow."

Slocum shot 68 and will be paired with Kim today.

Bohn will play with Stewart Cink, who was tied with Dudley Hart (70) at 8 under.

Creamer Keeps Lead Despite Shaky Finish

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. - Paula Creamer made two long birdie putts to pull away from the field in the SemGroup Championship, only to drop two shots on the closing holes for the third straight day to give her challengers a chance.

But that small group chasing her doesn't include the player everyone expected to see. Lorena Ochoa, going for her record-tying fifth straight LPGA Tour victory, lost momentum with back-to-back bogeys and wound up eight shots behind, needing the best comeback of her career.

"I still think I can win," Ochoa said. "I think Annika Sorenstam won before coming from 10 shots behind. It could happen."

It doesn't look likely, even with Creamer still trying to figure out how to stop making bogeys with the finish line in sights. A three-putt on the 16th and a bogey from the bunker on the 18th gave her a 2-under 69 and a two-shot lead against Juli Inkster.

Inkster, a 47-year-old with two daughters and seven majors, turned in a tournament-best 67 in more blustery conditions.

Creamer was at 3-under 210 and will play in the final pairing today with Inkster, at 212 the only other player under par.

CHAMPIONS: At Lakeway, Texas, Nick Price moved a step closer to his first Champions victory, shooting a 5-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the FedEx Kinko's Classic.

Price had a tournament-record 12-under 132 total on The Hills Country Club course.

Scott Simpson and Loren Roberts, who teamed together last week in the Legends of Golf tournament, were tied for second after matching 66s.

PGA EUROPEAN: Ignacio Garrido of Spain shot an even-par 72 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Spanish Open. Garrido leads countryman Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) with a 15-under 201.

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