"My shots were OK. I missed a couple of birdie putts," Han said. "But I like my position."

But it was teenagers Michelle Wie, of Honolulu, and Paula Creamer, of Pleasanton, Calif., who drew the huge crowds, playing head-to-head for the first time in an LPGA event. Wie shot 1-under 71 and was five strokes behind Han. Creamer shot 75, and is four shots back of Wie.

The third round was suspended because of darkness with 18 players still on the course. About half the field was unable to finish each of the first two rounds until a day later because of rain delays. The third round will be completed early today before the final round gets under way.

Second-round leader Suzann Pettersen struggled to a 75 in the third round and was tied for second at 6-under 210 with Catriona Matthew (71), Marilyn Lovander (71), 2002 Wendy's winner Mi Hyun Kim (71) and Laura Diaz, who finished with a 68 moments before play was halted by the darkness.

Wie shot 1-under despite hitting two balls into the water and taking a quadruple-bogey 7 at the par-3 No. 17, her eighth hole of the round. She regrouped to birdie the final three holes and is at 3-under 213.

Creamer never really got things going. She had a double-bogey and three bogeys, and stands at 217.

The 14-year-old Wie, a Punahou School sophomore, has made the cut in her last eight LPGA events, including a fourth-place finish in the year's first major at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Creamer, an 18-year-old high school senior, has also made eight consecutive cuts on the tour, including a tie for second at the ShopRite Classic in June. Both tied for 13th at the U.S. Women's Open this summer, making them exempt for the Open next year.

"We had a great time out there. We were talking a lot," Wie said. "I don't really consider her a real rival. I don't think about that. I know people put us together and try to make a rivalry out of it, but we're just two people trying to play golf."

Creamer said she and Wie are close because they have so much in common.

"We're very good friends, on and off the course," Creamer said. "We're both competitors and we both want to win, but we are definitely good friends."

NEC INVITATIONAL

Cink takes five-shot lead into final round

Stewart Cink seized control of the NEC Invitational at Akron, Ohio, with six straight one-putt greens and a chip-in from 50 feet for birdie on the 18th hole yesterday for a 2-under 68, giving him a five-shot lead over a trio of Ryder Cup teammates.

"I didn't expect anything like that to happen," Cink said. "I thought, 'That's pretty cool.' That chip-in just got me a five-shot lead."

Chris DiMarco, who played his way on to his first Ryder Cup team last week at the PGA Championship, had a 67 and will play in today's final group with Cink.

As Tiger Woods and David Toms lost ground over the closing holes at Firestone South, Cink finished at 11-under 199.

It was the largest 54-hole lead at this World Golf Championship event since Woods led by nine shots in 2000.

Woods struggled off the tee and badly pulled his drive on the 18th beyond the trees and needed a great escape to save par for a 70. Toms ended his round with a double bogey for a 69.

"I hit it so great this morning it was scary," said Woods, who made three straight birdies to finish his second round in the rain-delayed tournament with a 66. "Then all of a sudden, I come out here and play like an idiot."

RENO-TAHOE OPEN

Rookie Thatcher leads rookie Taylor by one

Roland Thatcher closed with three straight birdies for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke lead over fellow rookie Vaughn Taylor after three rounds of the Reno-Tahoe Open in Reno, Nev.

Thatcher was three strokes behind Taylor with four holes remaining at Montreux Golf and Country Club. He rallied with three birdies, including a tap-in at the 18th for a 14-under 202 total.

Taylor missed a 2-foot par putt on the last hole, settling for a 69.

HICKORY CLASSIC

Fleisher fires 7-under 65 to lead by three

Bruce Fleisher made eight birdies en route to a tournament-low 7-under 65 to take to a three-shot lead after the second round of the Champions Tour Greater Hickory Classic at Conover, N.C.

Fleisher hit all 14 fairways at Rock Barn Golf & Spa and used 26 putts to improve to 9-under-par 135 entering today's final round.