Micheel Nears His Initial Victory

A few more days like Saturday and everyone will know how to pronounce Shaun Micheel’s last name.

Micheel seized control of the B.C. Open in the morning with a hole-in-one as he finished his second round, then protected his three-stroke advantage over Paul Gow as the two shot matching five-under 67s in the third round at Endicott, N.Y.

Micheel’s total of 19-under 197 put the tournament scoring record of 22-under 266--set when Gow and Jeff Sluman tied after four rounds of last year’s B.C. Open--within reach.

Micheel (Mih-KEEL), in his third year on the PGA Tour, said he’s come to expect people to say his name wrong.

“There are people who will ask you on the first tee, and still maybe they’re a little bit nervous they’ll mispronounce it,� he said. “Most people think it’s ‘Michael.’ But there’s no ‘a’ in that at all.... Normally we’ll get to the first tee and I’ll introduce myself.�

With Gow three strokes better than the rest of the field, the two will again play head-to-head in the final round at the En-Joie Golf Club, with the $387,000 first prize and the all-important two-year tour exemption on the line.

“I don’t have any win experience, per se, but I’ve been out here long enough that I know the things that you need to do to play well,� Micheel said.

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Bob Gilder rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt on the final hole to finish off a course-record 63 and take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the SBC Senior Open at Chicago.

Gilder, the rookie of the year on the senior tour last season when he won twice and had 11 other top-10 finishes, followed up his first-day 70 with a bogey-free round to go 11-under 133 on the links-style course at Harborside International.

Bobby Wadkins was a stroke back after a 65.

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Kelly Robbins shot a four-under-par 68 to take a one-stroke lead over Mi Hyun Kim heading into the final round of the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic at Vienna, Ohio.

She began the day tied for the lead with Beth Bader.

Kim birdied three of the first four holes to take over the top spot before Robbins pulled even with a birdie at the eighth hole and then took over by herself with a birdie at the 14th. Her 68, after an opening 64, left her at 12-under 132.

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Ryan Moore defeated Lee Williamson, 10 and 9, to win the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Washington Township, Mich. The margin was the second-largest in tournament history behind Jim Sorenson’s 12-and-11 win over Jay Cooper in 1985.