[GOLF]

ASSOCIATED PRESS J.C. Snead walked through a flock of geese on the 18th fairway during the opening round of the SBC Senior Open in Chicago yesterday. Snead finished the round even par.

Wie 17 strokes behind leader

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Associated Press

WESTFIELD CENTER, Ohio >> Honolulu's Michelle Wie improved her overall score with a 1-under 70 yesterday, but still remains well behind the leaders at the Westfield Junior PGA Championship at Westfield Group Country Club.

Wie moved up three places to 13th with a three-round total of 220, but she is still 17 strokes behind girls division leader Sung Ea Lee, who shot an even-par 71 to put her at 10-under 203 heading into today's final round.

Robbins' 2 eagles good for share of lead: At Vienna, Ohio, Kelly Robbins had two eagles in an 8-under 64 for a share of the lead with Beth Bader in the rain-delayed first round of the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic.

Robbins, who won the last nine tour titles in 1999, holed a bunker shot on the par-5 5th, then hit driver and 3-wood to 4 feet for another eagle at the par-5 8th. Bader had 10 birdies and two bogeys for the best score of her career. The 64s were the lowest competitive rounds ever shot at Squaw Creek Country Club.

Gow takes B.C. Open lead: At Endicott, N.Y., Australia's Paul Gow shot a 6-under 66 to take the clubhouse lead after the second round of the B.C. Open.

Gow had a two-round total of 11-under 139 on the En-Joie Golf Club course, where lightning and rain around midday forced a delay of nearly 4 hours, 15 minutes.

When play resumed, Shaun Micheel went out in a blazing 5-under 32 for the front nine and was 11-under through 15 holes when darkness stopped play for the day.

Goin on top at SBC Senior Open: At Chicago, Ted Goin, winless in two seasons on the Senior PGA Tour, shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the SBC Senior Open.

Three-time champion Hale Irwin, Roy Vucinich, Bob Eastwood and Tom Wargo opened with 67s at Harborside International, a links-style public course built on a landfill south of downtown.

Two advance to publinx final: At Washington Township, Mich., Lee Williamson and Ryan Moore each won two matches to advance to the final of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

The winner of the 36-hole final will receive a spot in the 2003 Masters, if he remains an amateur.