Suzann Pettersen

RANCHO MIRAGE -- Suzann Pettersen, who runs turns 32 on Sunday, is tied for third midway through the third round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA's first major of the season. Pettersen has been runner-up in this event three times but has never won it. She's a six-time member of the European Solheim Cup team and has a one major title, the LPGA Championship. Pettersen, of Norway, finished her round of five-under 67 with birdies on the last four holes. "I played really solid today," Pettersen said.

Charley Hoffman's quick start gave him a two-shot lead over U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson after three rounds of the RBC Heritage on Saturday at Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hoffman had four birdies on his first five holes to shoot a bogey-free five-under 66 and keep out front at 11 under on a windy, cool day at Harbour Town Golf Links. Simpson also didn't make a bogey on the way to a 65, tying the lowest round of the tournament. Kevin Streelman shot a 69 and was alone in third at eight under.

To say that Lorena Ochoa has been playing poorly of late is a bit of a stretch — she was the LPGA player of the year last year — but she hasn't exactly been the dominant force she once was and her grip on the No. 1 spot in the world rankings is slipping. Ochoa, trying to rectify that situation with a strong finish at the year's first major, got off to a good start with a four-under par 68 in the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Thursday at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

Inbee Park seemed unflappable Saturday. The breeze picked up, but Park's shots stayed in the middle of the fairway. The 24-year-old South Korean played alongside her closest competitor, Lizette Salas, and increased her lead even as the pro-Salas gallery cheered loudly for an almost-hometown girl. Park, who won the U.S. Open in 2008 for her only major title, shot a second consecutive five-under-par 67 and, with a three-day total of 12-under 204, has a three-shot lead over Salas after three rounds of the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

The trouble with buying a house from Annika Sorenstam was twofold for Yani Tseng. First, she considered Sorenstam an idol, and Tseng became tongue-tied in her presence. Second, the size of the trophy room left an indelible impression. "It's huge," Tseng said. One problem resolved itself this year when Sorenstam visited Tseng to give the young Taiwanese star some career advice. As for the trophy room, well, a few more days like Sunday won't hurt. Tseng, 21, gathered some hardware for the shelf by shooting four-under-par, final-round 68 to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

The leaderboard after the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship was showing international colors Thursday. South Korea's Na Yeon Choi, Norway's Suzann Pettersen and England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff were tied for the lead at Mission Hills Country Club after shooting rounds of four-under-par 68. Meanwhile, down in a tie for 22nd place, Michelle Wie was displaying her own colors. Wie, who has made only one cut this year, dyed her hair pink, purple and turquoise and was happy with her even-par round of 72 at Rancho Mirage.

Anna Rawson shot a course-record seven-under-par 64 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Suzann Pettersen in the Canadian Women's Open at Priddis. Rawson, the 28-year-old Australian who has missed nine cuts in 13 starts this year, had nine birdies and two bogeys to break Dawn Coe-Jones' course mark by a shot. Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa , the 2007 winner at Royal Mayfair in Edmonton, was two strokes back along with Amanda Blumenherst , and Michelle Wie opened with a 76. Rawson played in ideal morning conditions.

If past success in big tournaments has anything to do with predicting success on the weekend of a major championship, then good luck handicapping the field at the midway point of Kraft Nabisco Championship. The top eight players after two rounds have a combined 13 major titles, which seemingly sets up a weekend clash of women's golf heavyweights at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. Unheralded South Korean Song-Hee Kim has the midway lead after her four-under-par 68 today during the second round gave her a two-day total of seven-under 137, but lined up just behind her is a parade of past major champions poised to pounce.

RANCHO MIRAGE -- Na Yeon Choi and Suzann Pettersen posted early four-under-par 68s Thursday to take the early lead at the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club. This is golf's first major of the year and Choi, winner of the 2012 U.S. Women's Open, didn't have a bogey in the first round. Choi is nicknamed "NYC," and said she was happy to play early Thursday before the greens became faster in the desert heat. Lydia Ko, the 15-year-old amateur from New Zealand, and her playing partner, 23-year-old Michelle Wie, who first competed in an LPGA event when she was 12 years old, both shot even-par 72. Wie has only made a single cut this season.

Suzann Pettersen kept saying that her major meltdown 10 weeks ago was a distant memory. For those not listening, all they had to do was watch her Sunday at the LPGA Championship in Havre De Grace, Md. Pettersen never flinched down the stretch, closing with a five-under-par 67 to hold off a spirited challenge by Karrie Webb and a late charge by 18-year-old Na On Min for a one-shot victory and her first major championship.

RANCHO MIRAGE -- Suzann Pettersen, who runs turns 32 on Sunday, is tied for third midway through the third round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA's first major of the season. Pettersen has been runner-up in this event three times but has never won it. She's a six-time member of the European Solheim Cup team and has a one major title, the LPGA Championship. Pettersen, of Norway, finished her round of five-under 67 with birdies on the last four holes. "I played really solid today," Pettersen said.

The leaderboard after the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship was showing international colors Thursday. South Korea's Na Yeon Choi, Norway's Suzann Pettersen and England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff were tied for the lead at Mission Hills Country Club after shooting rounds of four-under-par 68. Meanwhile, down in a tie for 22nd place, Michelle Wie was displaying her own colors. Wie, who has made only one cut this year, dyed her hair pink, purple and turquoise and was happy with her even-par round of 72 at Rancho Mirage.

RANCHO MIRAGE -- Na Yeon Choi and Suzann Pettersen posted early four-under-par 68s Thursday to take the early lead at the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills Country Club. This is golf's first major of the year and Choi, winner of the 2012 U.S. Women's Open, didn't have a bogey in the first round. Choi is nicknamed "NYC," and said she was happy to play early Thursday before the greens became faster in the desert heat. Lydia Ko, the 15-year-old amateur from New Zealand, and her playing partner, 23-year-old Michelle Wie, who first competed in an LPGA event when she was 12 years old, both shot even-par 72. Wie has only made a single cut this season.

Europe won the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2003 on Sunday, finishing powerfully to beat the United States, 15-13, at Killeen Castle in Dunsany, Ireland. Norway's Suzann Pettersen turned the momentum Europe's way when she recovered from 1 down with birdies on the last three holes to beat Michelle Wie by one hole. Her win left Europe needing only one point from the last two singles to win the trophy, but the side captained by Alison Nicholas did even better.

Tennessee men's basketball Coach Bruce Pearl acknowledged providing misleading and incorrect information to the NCAA during a 17-month investigation into possible recruiting violations. And Tennessee is making him pay for his actions. Volunteers Athletic Director Mike Hamilton is reducing Pearl's pay by $1.5 million over five years and prohibiting him from participating in off-campus recruiting for a year beginning Sept. 24. "I've made some serious mistakes, and for that I'm truly sorry," a tearful Pearl said during a Friday news conference.

Michelle Wie closed with a two-under-par 70 on Sunday for a three-shot win at the CN Canadian Women's Open, her second career victory on the LPGA Tour. Wie, who was 12 under for the tournament, earned the winner's check of $337,500 in the $2.25-million event at the St. Charles Country Club — the LPGA's only stop in Canada. Wie had five birdies, including on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes. "I made a lot of crucial putts today," said Wie, who at 10 years old was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Steve Stricker squeezed everything he could out of his final shot Sunday in the Deutsche Bank Championship, setting up an eagle that gave him a share of the lead with Retief Goosen and Sean O'Hair. Stricker, who can overtake Tiger Woods atop the FedEx Cup standings with a victory, hit his hybrid to five feet on the par-five 18th for a six-under-par 65. He was among a dozen players separated by three shots going into today's Labor Day finish at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. "I needed a day like this today to get back into it," Stricker said.

It took two full rounds and the better part of a third, but late Saturday afternoon the Kraft Nabisco Championship finally got the feel of a major. A birdie barrage by many of the contenders on the final three holes sent roars throughout the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage and ratcheted up the goose bump factor for players and spectators. Karen Stupples, who made her move early and held the lead most of the day, shot a four-under-par 68 for a three-day total of 10-under 206 and a one-shot lead heading into the final round, but she has plenty of close challengers thanks to some late charges.

Japan's Ai Miyazato shot a seven-under-par 64 Sunday to win the ShopRite LPGA Classic at Galloway Township, N.J. The 25-year-old Miyazato is guaranteed to take over the No. 1 spot in Monday's rankings after her fourth victory of the season. Second-round leader M.J. Hur finished second, two shots behind Miyazato. Fellow South Korean Inbee Park , the 2008 U.S. Women's Open champion, was two shots behind Hur. Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Hee-Won Han of South Korea and Katherine Hull of Australia shared fourth place at 11 under, one shot ahead of Paula Creamer , who had a spectacular return in her first tournament since surgery on her left thumb in March.

It took two full rounds and the better part of a third, but late Saturday afternoon the Kraft Nabisco Championship finally got the feel of a major. A birdie barrage by many of the contenders on the final three holes sent roars throughout the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage and ratcheted up the goose bump factor for players and spectators. Karen Stupples, who made her move early and held the lead most of the day, shot a four-under-par 68 for a three-day total of 10-under 206 and a one-shot lead heading into the final round, but she has plenty of close challengers thanks to some late charges.