Birdie

If Tuesday's first dress rehearsal was any indication, the Children's Theatre of Annapolis production of Bye Bye Birdie is going to pack an energetic wallop. Naturally exuberant, the well-primed group of 20 young performers was coaxed to higher levels by music director Kevin Kimble and never missed a step of the intricate dance routines. "The 38-member cast has worked incredibly hard, and you can feel the excitement from them and the crew at every rehearsal," producer Deb Engler said.

Don Pooley was born in Phoenix, played for the University of Arizona and makes his home in Tucson. That doesn't sound like an ideal background for a mudder, but nothing brings out the best in Pooley like a visit to Baltimore's brand of sea level. Pooley, whose signature golf victory came in the 2002 U.S. Senior Open at Caves Valley, thrived on a soggy second day of the Constellation Energy Classic, as he shot an 8-under-par 64 that moved him to 10-under and gave him a one-stroke lead heading into today's third and final round at Hayfields Country Club.

Angela Stanford thought about playing a conservative shot from a tricky downhill lie in the 14th fairway. Instead, she talked herself into an aggressive play and ended up hitting the best shot of the best round of her life. Stanford deftly faded her 7-iron approach around a large greenside tree to set up a tap-in birdie, the last of her eight birdies in a bogey-free 64 yesterday that matched the lowest round in the history of the Canadian Women's Open in London, Ontario. "I think I've learned over the last couple of months when I start being conservative, and I don't just hit the shot that I'm feeling I should hit, that's when I get into trouble," said Stanford, three strokes ahead after the first round.

The kicker for Michelle Wie and her gallery came on the 16th hole. What a coincidence. History was three holes away, even after so many close calls and heartbreakers. The masses following her around Bulle Rock on the final day of the LPGA Championship were ready to push her over the top. She had just gotten her third birdie in five holes, boosting her within one shot of the lead. The tingle was running through everybody nearby, as if lightning had struck the course. Then Wie hit probably the worst second shot of her weekend.

After going extra holes twice to reach the last match, Jeff Castle expressed some concern about the grueling nature of the Maryland State Amateur men's championship, which requires seven rounds of the two finalists. So, yesterday at the Elkridge Club, Castle personally eliminated one-third of the final round with a blazing 31 on the front nine in the afternoon and cruised by fellow collegian Jarrod Page, 7 and 6, to become the 2006 titlist. The Towson University rising senior reached the halfway point of the 36-hole test with a 3-up lead, then squashed all chances of a Page comeback with four birdies and an eagle 3 on the par-5 seventh, virtually guaranteeing the victory.

At the end of a dawn-to-dusk day at Bulle Rock, Ai Miyazato and Pat Hurst were tied atop the leader board after three rounds of the LPGA Championship - but all eyes were on one of the golfers right behind them. Sinking a birdie putt on the last green, Michelle Wie pulled within one shot of the co-leaders and put herself into position to contend for her first major title today in the final round in Havre de Grace. "This course still owes me a really good round. I'm going to try to shoot it and see what happens," said Wie, 16, who shot a 71 yesterday.

Dorothy Delasin seemed oblivious to her surroundings yesterday for much of the second round of the LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace. To the scoreboards that saw her name at the top. To one of her playing partners, Michelle Wie, and the huge crowd following the 16-year-old prodigy. And to the fact that Delasin was on the verge of pulling away from the field. "I like having people watch and whether they're watching me or Michelle or anybody, it's good to just have people out there watching your group," Delasin said.

It wasn't a circus, at least not compared with the last time she played a competitive round. The gallery was still large, with nearly 1,000 people following her on each hole, and a throng of reporters from around the world still studying and analyzing every move she made. But Michelle Wie's opening round yesterday at the LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock was a much calmer affair than her attempt earlier this week to qualify for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. It was, in fact, a fairly uneventful round for Wie, all things considered.

Rory Sabbatini made a 5-foot birdie on the 18th hole yesterday that allowed him to finish the day the same way he started - with a four-shot lead in the PGA Tour Nissan Open in Los Angeles. That was about the only thing that went according to plan. A forecast for rain gave way to brilliant skies over Riviera, allowing for the best scoring of the week. And Tiger Woods was nowhere to be found. He withdrew with the flu, the first time in his pro career he has left in the middle of the tournament for health reasons.

Bart Bryant raised both arms as his putt headed for the center of the cup yesterday, giving him another eagle on the 15th hole at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. But this celebration was different. The short eagle putt in the first round carried him to the course record at East Lake. This one allowed him to end a slide and kept him atop the leader board with defending champion Retief Goosen. "It was more important than two shots," Bryant said. Bryant saw a five-shot lead disappear in six holes as he struggled in the bunkers, but recovered with the 30-foot eagle putt for a 2-under 68 that left him tied with Goosen entering the weekend.