Choi Clings to One-Stroke Lead

K.J. Choi, trying to become the first South Korean winner on the PGA Tour, finished the third round of the Compaq Classic at New Orleans where he started--at the top of the leaderboard.

“He says he will pray, he will eat well, he will sing some songs and he will have a good sleep,” Choi’s translator said.

Choi had three birdies and two bogeys Saturday in a one-under-par round of 71 that left him at 12-under 204, a stroke ahead of John Rollins (68) and tour hopeful Bryce Molder (69).

“It was tough,” Choi said, wiping his face after the round.

Choi birdied the fourth hole, but dropped a stroke with a bogey on No. 9. He birdied Nos. 12 and 14 before closing with a bogey.

“In the beginning he tried very hard to maintain his lead and his composure from yesterday,” Choi’s translator said. “But he noticed that the greens were a little harder for him to read, but as the day progressed, he kind of got the feel for the course.”

First-round leader Dan Forsman had a 72, leaving him two shots off the pace at 10-under 206. Billy Andrade (68) was nine under, and Chris DiMarco (70) topped a five-player group at eight under. Defending champion David Toms (71) was at seven under, and Phil Mickelson (71) was at six under.

Molder, a four-time All-American at Georgia Tech who set the NCAA record for career scoring average (70.69), is trying to play his way onto the PGA Tour through sponsor exemptions.

*

Alabama native Larry Nelson shot two six-under 66s on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Hale Irwin in the rain-soaked Bruno’s Memorial Classic at Hoover, Ala.

Irwin birdied the final four holes and tied a tournament record with his second-round 63. He played 24 holes Saturday. The first round was suspended because of thunderstorms Friday, and play was delayed two hours early Saturday.

Sammy Rachels birdied six of his final seven holes to move within two shots of the lead after a second-round 64.

*

The fourth rain delay in two days prompted LPGA Tour officials to shorten the Chick-fil-A Charity tournament from 54 holes to 36 as 81 players, including leader Kelly Robbins, didn’t even get on the water-logged course at Eagles Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, Ga.

Robbins shot an eight-under 64 on Friday, then sat around Saturday hoping to get on the course. She takes a two-shot lead into today’s final round. At six under are Laura Diaz and Juli Inkster.

*

Malcolm Mackenzie, an English journeyman who hasn’t won in 509 European tournaments, held a one-shot lead after the third round of the $1.8-million French Open at Versailles, France.

Mackenzie shot a seven-under 65 with an eagle, six birdies and one bogey over the Golf National course to move to 14-under 202. He is one shot ahead of overnight leader Trevor Immelman, who had a 71, and defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal, who shot a 67.