Choi chases PGA Tour feat, leads Compaq

Golf

K.J. Choi, trying to become the first South Korean winner on the PGA Tour, shot a 1-under 71 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Compaq Classic at New Orleans, La.

Choi had a 12-under 204 total on the English Turn course, a stroke ahead of John Rollins (68) and Bryce Molder (69).

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.

First-round leader Dan Forsman had a 72, leaving him two shots off the pace at 10-under 206. Billy Andrade (68) was 9 under, and Chris DiMarco (70) topped a five-player group at 8 under.

Defending champion David Toms (71) was 7 under, and Phil Mickelson (71) was 6 under.

Eighty-one players, including leader Kelly Robbins, didn't even get on the course as rain forced LPGA Tourt officials to shorten the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship from 54 to 36 holes at Stockbridge, Ga.

Robbins shot an 8-under 64 on Friday. Karrie Webb, Se Ri Pak, Laura Diaz and Juli Inkster were 6 under. Pak completed seven holes in the second round, Webb played four holes and Diaz and Inkster did not start. Annika Sorenstam was 1 over after seven holes.

England's Malcolm Mackenzie, winless in 509 PGA European Tour starts, shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the French Open at Versailles.

Mackenzie had a 14-under 202 total on Le Golf National's Albatross Course. Defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain and South Africa's Trevor Immelman were tied for second. Olazabal shot a 67, including an ace on the 208-yard second hole. Immelman had a 71.

Larry Nelson shot two 6-under-par 66s 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.

Sammy Rachels and George Archer were two strokes back at 10 under. Rachels birdied six of his final seven holes for a second-round 64. At 62, Archer looked anything but his age with a pair of 67s and no bogeys in the first two rounds.

Motorsports

Mike Bliss, who rejoined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2002 following a two-year absence, out-dueled Dennis Setzer to win the pole for today's Dodge Ram Tough 200 race at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis. The pole, which Bliss captured at an average speed of 129.549 mph in his IWX Motor Freight/Knights Inn Chevrolet Silverado truck, was the Oregon native's first since May 16, 1999. It was his 15th career pole.

Tennis

Venus Williams beat Martina Hingis in straight sets to reach the final of the Betty Barclay Open at Hamburg, Germany. Williams dominated with her power tennis, despite the slow clay courts, and converted her fourth match point against to win 6-3, 7-5. She will face Kim Clijsters, who advanced past an injured Jelena Dokic, in today's final.

-- From wire reports