Davies moves up with 2 eagles

Laura Davies chips away from the trees on No. 13 and winds up with a bogey. She finished birdie-eagle-birdie yesterday.

Everything's funny when you're in contention.

Laura Davies knocked in two eagles yesterday and finished her round birdie-eagle-birdie to move within sight of Se Ri Pak. But all she wanted to talk about was her double bogey on the ninth hole at Highland Meadows.

"I knocked it into the wind and it went across the road," Davies said. "I hope I didn't kill anybody."

Davies' 4-under round moved her into a tie for fifth place in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. After three rounds, the England native is 6-under.

Davies made an eagle on the par-4 fourth and on the par-5 17th. It was the second time in three days she eagled 17. She birdied holes 5, 8, 11, 16 and 18.

The birdies erased bogeys on 1, 3 and 13 and the double on 9.

"That was very disappointing at the time because I was 2-under for the day and it was back to level, start the work all over again," Davies said of her double bogey. "On the back nine, I finished great."

Davies has won 20 tournaments but none since 2001. She said she felt her round would give her a chance today, but she knows it might not depend on what she shoots.

"Six-under's not much, but it feels so much better than 5-under," Davies said. "So many people are 5-under, and it gets you that much closer to Se Ri. At the moment she's looking pretty invincible, though."

PAK FALLS BEHIND PAK: Nerves got the best of rookie Jin Young Pak while paired in the final group with her hero and South Korean legend, Se Ri Pak.

But Jin Young Pak, who started the third round in second place at 6-under, opened with a double bogey and struggled to a 3-over 74.

The 20-year-old Korean, who fell to 15th place, said she learned a lot from Se Ri, who is seeking her fifth title here.

"It was good. I learned a lot from her," Jin Young Pak said. "Actually I think I was nervous on the front nine. I think my play was not good."

Jin Young carded a birdie on No. 7, but then recorded bogeys at 14 and 18.

"Today, my goal was to have fun. But it was not," Jin Young said. "I was just nervous. But tomorrow I hope I can play my game and enjoy it."

Jin Young has only completed one tournament on the tour this season. She finished tied for 63rd at the MasterCard Classic and it was only the eighth round she has completed.

She said she also struggled with the gusty wind.

"I didn't have any feel with the wind," she said.

Se Ri Pak joked that Jin Young made her feel old.

"She saw me playing in Korea 10 years ago. She said hi to me and she was so excited about it. She was telling me about it, but I told her, 'I don't think I'm that old.'•"

Jin Young said her countryman offered plenty of support and advice.

"We talked a lot," Jin Young said. "She told me a lot of good things - how you practice and how to enjoy the game. She gave me confidence."

Se Ri said she feels honored when she meets the dozens of South Koreans who say they are on the tour because of her accomplishments.

"She said she started playing golf because of me," Se Ri Pak said. "She said I was one of her idols. That was pretty special for me to play with one of those young players that are playing because of me.

"It was cute."

WARD WARDS OFF BOGEYS: Tour veteran Wendy Ward has carded just three bogeys in the first three rounds of the tournament, the fewest of any player.

Ward shot a 4-under 67 yesterday to move up from 27th to a tie for 10th. Ward did not have a bogey yesterday. She carded one on Friday when she shot a 70 and had two during the opening round when she finished at even par.

"It's the birdies you have to make to stay atop you game, and I'm putting the ball good and giving myself a lot of opportunities," Ward said. "There are a lot of putts that aren't falling for me, so I'll try to be content with the ones I have."

Ward has recorded eight birdies so far, including four yesterday, and is eight off the lead.

Even tournament leader Se Ri Pak, who is 13-under, has suffered four bogeys.

"It's been a real strange year, so to see my name anywhere in the top-10 is nice," Ward said. "I'm coming off a little rib injury that I've been fighting off. So it's nice to settle down and play some good golf."

EVENT RADIO RETURNS: Spectators at the Farr Classic can once again follow the action via private radio broadcasts being provided by a company called Event Radio.

The cost of the ear-piece sized radio, which is about the size of a golf ball, is $10. Listeners can follow the coverage on the 18th hole while watching the action at the ninth hole.

"You can watch your favorite player and we'll keep you in the loop with what the rest of the players are doing," said Mike Betts, co-owner of Event Radio.

Local broadcasters Joe Rychnovsky and Mike Miller are serving as commentators again for today's final round.

Vendors throughout the course are selling the earpieces that feature the Farr logo and also serve as fully functioning FM radios. Spectators can use the radio in subsequent years.

BADER POWER: Beth Bader had a front nine that left her in a daze - a 29 with six birdies and one bogey. She was even on the back nine to finish at 5-under for the day and the tournament, putting her in a tie for 10th place.

"I was in one of those fun golf realms where you are in a bubble," Bader said. "You seem to pick the right club. You seem to read the right line and they just drop. That's how it was on the front side, and then I kind of woke up a little bit on the back side."

IN THE BRITISH: Mikaela Parmlid's and Kim Hall's third-round scores qualified them for the British Open.

The first two rounds of the Farr Classic are a qualifier to decide the final five spots for the Open. Parmlid and Hall were tied with Jill McGill and Jane Park for the final two spots after two rounds, but Parmlid shot 71 and Hall carded 72 yesterday to grab them.

- Maureen Fulton

and Mark Monroe