GOLF Couch accelerates from worst to first

Mi Hyun Kim and Ai Miyazato are tied for the LPGA lead.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS -- Chris Couch has been on a wild ride ever since he got to the Big Easy, and going from worst-to-first in a wind-swept third round Saturday at the Zurich Classic was only part of it.
One day after closing with two tough pars to make the cut on the number, Couch piled up birdies in gusty conditions and zoomed up the leaderboard with an 8-under 64, signing his card 30 minutes before 36-hole leader Joe Durant teed off. The wind only got stronger, birdies became harder to find, and the day ended with Couch in the lead by himself.
How about that?
"I'm not sure I would have believed it," Couch said.
He was at 12-under 204 and had a one-shot lead over Durant (73) and Charles Howell III, who also played early at shot 66.
In contention
Durant made only five pars. He fell four shots behind and into the middle of the pack, picked himself up with three straight birdies, had a gust knock his wedge into the water for bogey, and he finished with a 25-foot birdie that left him a good chance to win for the first time in five years.
Dean Wilson (66) and Cameron Beckman (67), both early starters, were at 10-under 206.
Masters champion Phil Mickelson figured he would need a 64 to get into the mix, and all it took was a 68 marred only by a bogey from the bunker on the 17th. He was only three shots behind, along with six others.
The PGA Tour did not have records of anyone who went from the cutline to the 54-hole lead.
Wild ride
Couch asked to get out of the car, and they let him out in a section of town that didn't look familiar, except that he knew he needed to get out of there. He said another car pulled up and a man jumped out of the car and yelled, "What are you doing in this neighborhood?"
Couch took off his sandals and ran as fast as he could for 20 minutes, ducking into a tattoo parlor to call the police for help.
Couch lost his cell phone during the ordeal, unsure if he left it in the car or it was taken from him. Contrary to rumors that were swirling around English Turn, he said he was not robbed of any money. But he declined to say what was weird about being in the car.
LPGA Ginn Open
REUNION, Fla. -- They are among the shortest LPGA players, with Mi Hyun Kim at 5-foot-1 and Ai Miyazato a mere 1 inch taller.
A diminutive duo, they're atop the Ginn Clubs & amp; Resorts Open leaderboard heading into today's final round.
Kim shot a 3-under-par round of 69 to get to 11-under for the tournament, three shots ahead of Miyazato -- who was tied for the lead on the par-4 18th before making double bogey while Kim made birdie.
Spanish Open
SAN ROQUE, Spain -- David Griffiths shot a 6-under 66 for a two-stroke lead after the third round.
Niclas Fasth (66) and Robert Karlsson (68) are tied for second at 15-under 201.
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