HOMECOMERS ENDS WITH CONTEST WINS

JACKSON -- Final winners of the Jackson Homecomers Talent Show were announced Sunday. The Talent Show was held in conjunction with the 89th Homecomers Celebration sponsored by American Legion Post #158.

Jim Nelson, talent show chairman, said the winners of each age group received cash prizes and plaques as awards.

"There were 104 acts during the three days of the Talent Show competition," said Nelson. "Participation in the Jackson Homecomers Talent Show has more than doubled in the last two years."

Final show winners were:

Ages 6 - 12: first place, Ashlee Harris of Desloge; second place, Ashley Illers and Olivia Swingle of Jackson; third place, Andrea Penzel of Jackson; fourth place, Ginny Hahn of Chaffee; and fifth place, Amanda Henderson of Desloge.

Ages 13 -21: First place, Mandi Harris, Katie Conway and Krista Simmons of Desloge; tied for second place, Brooke Burrows of Jackson and Christina Shaw of Scott City; third place, Alissa Drury, Nicki Klein, Dana Herberlie and Amanda Drury of Ste. Genevieve; fourth Place, Liesl Schoenberger of Cape Girardeau; fifth place, Mackenzie Price of Cape Girardeau; and sixth place, Alisha Walther of Jackson.

Homecomers Queen contest winners were: Queen, Kristena Galeski, Miss Ste. Genevieve; first runner-up, Celeste Ramsey, Miss Perryville; and second runner-up, Michelle Bennett, Miss Cape Girardeau.

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Cook concocts one-shot lead at Series

The Associated Press

MDNMAKRON, Ohio -- Cheered by a partisan crowd, hometown favorite John Cook shot a 3-under-par 67 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Phil Mickelson in the World Series of Golf.

Cook grew up in Akron and played Little League baseball while his father, Jim, coached football at the University of Akron. Now John calls Rancho Mirage, Calif., home and Jim is the tournament manager for the World Series and also the Las Vegas Invitational.

Cook birdied the eighth hole by rolling in a 20-footer, the ninth with an 8-footer and then hit an 8-iron to 4 feet at the 10th for another birdie.

The spurt allowed him to grab the lead that was tossed away by second-round leader Dudley Hart.

Hart, up by two shots starting the day, triple-bogeyed the par-4 fourth hole and ended up with a 76 -- 11 shots more than he took in the second round.

Mickelson made the biggest charge. He shared the first-round lead with Tiger Woods after a 67, but followed with a 72. At the turn of the third round, he had lost another shot to par and was even for the tournament.

But then he picked up birdies at the 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes for a course-record tying 5-under 30 on the back side. He rolled in a 60-footer at the 14th and followed that with a 35-footer at 15.

His 66 matched British Open winner Justin Leonard and Lee Westwood for the low round of the day and put him at 5-under 205.

Saint Luke's Classic: MDNMThe lowest two-day total on the Senior PGA Tour this year gave South African Hugh Baiocchi just a one-stroke lead over Jay Sigel.

Baiocchi, 51, a 22-year veteran of the PGA European Tour who is winless on the senior circuit, shot a 5-under-par 65 after blistering the course for a 63 on Friday. No one so far on the 1997 tour has matched his two-day total of 128, 12-under on the Loch Lloyd layout.

Five strokes back at 7-under 133 was Larry Laoretti, who holed out a 110-yard wedge shot on No. 18 and had a 64 for the day.

Vancouver Open: MDNMMark Calcavecchia, thriving with a putter he swiped from Jeff Maggert, shot a 6-under-par 65 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Payne Stewart.

After missing a short putt Friday, the 1989 British Open winner twisted the head off his putter in disgust. He couldn't find a replacement at a pro shop, and didn't like a loaner from a player who missed the cut.

Then, with Maggert out on the course, Calcavecchia spotted a Ping Anser model in the Ryder Cup player's locker.

"I lifted it right out of his locker and away I went," said Calcavecchia, who had a 14-under 199 total on the Northview course.

He didn't waste any time putting the putter to good use, holing a 25-foot birdie putt on the first hole and 15-footer on the second hole.

Stewart shot his second straight 68 for a 200 total.

Andrew Magee (65), John Adams (67), Canadian Richard Zokol (70) and Steve Pate (70) were two back at 201.

Star Bank LPGA: MDNMDottie Pepper, a four-time winner last year who has only two top-five finishes this season, shot a 6-under-par 66 on to take a two-stroke lead.

Pepper is at 10-under 134 on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Country Club.

Kim Williams (67), Kelly Robbins (67) and Colleen Walker (69) were two back at 136.

-- From wire service reports