AKRON, Ohio – Darren Clarke hit one ball that ricocheted across the fairway and played another hole down the wrong fairway. When his wild ride was over, he wound up with the lead Saturday in the NEC Invitational.

Clarke gave himself a chance to win another World Golf Championship, finishing with a 4-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Jonathan Kaye.

“I got a few breaks early on,” said Clarke, who was at 9-under 201 on an increasingly firm Firestone course. “I hit some good shots and some bad shots, but thankfully my short game has been very sharp, and that’s what made the difference.”

Kaye, who won for the first time on the PGA Tour this year at the Buick Classic, birdied his four holes and finished strong for a 65.

Clarke’s biggest victory came three years ago in the Match Play Championship, when he hammered Tiger Woods in the 36-hole final.

This isn’t match play, but it could shape up that way late Sunday afternoon.

And Woods is very much in the picture. Despite three bogeys in four holes during the middle of his round, Woods regrouped to shoot a 67 and was three strokes behind. He has won the NEC Invitational the last three times it has been played at Firestone.

Kung up by one

in Wachovia LPGA

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Candie Kung shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Meg Mallon after the third round of the Wachovia LPGA Classic on Saturday.

Kung carded six birdies to get to 12-under 204, just ahead of Mallon, the second-round leader. Mallon needed birdies on two of her last four holes at Berkleigh Country Club, including a tap-in at 18, for a 71.

Karrie Webb (65) and Carin Koch (67) are three back. Defending champion Se Ri Pak shot herself back into contention with a 67 and stands alone in fifth at 208.

Kung made a 10-footer for birdie on the first hole. Three straight birdies to close the front nine gave Kung the lead at 10-under. Her birdie chip on 13 and a tricky 20-foot birdie putt on 18 put Kung into position to win the second tournament of her career.

“I think it’s tougher to win the second,” said Kung, who captured the Takefuji Classic in April. “Now, you know you can win. I’m putting more pressure on myself.”

Kung, 22, is one of the young guns on the tour. In Mallon, 40, she will face off against someone with a lot more experience and 13 more tour victories.

Pooley in front after

two rounds of Allianz

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Don Pooley seems to be recovering nicely from his shoulder surgery.

Pooley shot a 4-under-par 67 Saturday to emerge with a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Allianz Championship, which is poised for a wild finish Sunday.

Six challengers were within two strokes of Pooley, who had surgery for a torn ligament in his left shoulder on Jan. 3 and could not play for five months. But he has been solid in two days at Glen Oaks, topping the field at 9-under 133.

First-round leader Bruce Lietzke was part of a trio at 8 under after a 69. Bogeys on the last two holes prevented him from keeping the lead.

Bruce Fleisher and 2001 winner Jim Thorpe also were 8 under, Fleisher shooting a 64 for the best score of the day.

and Thorpe posting his second straight 67.

Former major league pitcher Rick Rhoden (66), Morris Hatalsky (67) and Allen Doyle (68) were 7 under as Glen Oaks proved ideal for scoring on a day that was breezy at times but comfortably warm.

Forty-four of the 81 golfers will start the final round under par. With 14 players at 5 under or better, Sunday should be a scramble.

“I like it when it’s tough,” said Thorpe, who beat Bob Gilder by one stroke to win the Long Island Classic last weekend. “I’d like to come down to 18 one shot ahead or tied for the lead and test the nerves.”

Pooley was strong with his irons to the green and only one of his five birdie putts was from more than 10 feet. He went to 10 under after sinking a 6-footer on 11 but bogeyed 13 after hitting his second shot into a bunker.

“It made it harder with the way the wind was today,” Pooley said. “But the course is in great shape. If you hit good golf shots, you’ll have putts you can make.”

Lietzke was alone in first at 10 under after a 12-foot birdie putt on 16. But he bogeyed 17 when his approach shot landed short of the green and he flew his approach on 18 left of the green for another bogey.

Fleisher missed tying the tournament record of 63 by 2 inches – the distance his birdie putt stopped short of the hole on 18. With his tap-in, Fleisher matched his second-best round of the year.

“I haven’t played with a lot of confidence of late, so we tried to go out there with a different attitude today,” Fleisher said. “Put less pressure on myself, not be so concerned about what other people think and try to bring some fun back into this game for me.”

Mission accomplished.

“I had a lot of fun out there,” he said with a smile.

Fleisher reeled off four straight birdies starting at No. 8 and went to 9 under with a birdie on 15 after knocking a pitching wedge to 5 feet. He gave a shot back with a bogey on 17 after driving into a bunker left of the fairway and hitting his second shot into the rough in front of a grandstand.

Rhoden, a big winner on the celebrity tour, had seven birdies for the second day in a row, including three straight after bogeys on 11 and 12. He sank a 40-foot putt on 13 and followed that with a 25-footer on 14.

“I putted well and hit my driver well,” Rhoden said. “Usually when you do that, you can get away with some bad shots.”

AP-ES-08-23-03 2022EDT