Tournament Notebook -- Wooding Sisters' Results Mixed After First Round

KENT - Tacoma's Wooding sisters, Audrey and Michelle, had mixed results in the first round of the Safeco Classic.

Michelle Wooding, 27, had a respectable 1-over 73 in the first round, but Audrey was 5-over.

Audrey Wooding shouldn't feel too badly. Laura Davies, the world's No. 1 female player, also had a 77, after playing her final nine holes at 6-over.

Audrey Wooding, 24, who is playing in her 16th LPGA Tournament this season, is in danger of missing the 36-hole cut for the 12th time.

She blamed a balky putter for her problems yesterday, which included four putts on the 17th green.

"I'm going right to the practice green," she said. "I had no idea about the speed of the greens."

Both sisters are using a brother as a caddy this week. Peter Wooding is carrying Audrey's bag; Tom Wooding is caddying for Michelle.

Tom Wooding said the family is pulling for both sisters equally.

"They are competing against the field, not each other," he said.

Another sister act, Dina and Danielle Ammaccapane is tied with the Woodings at a combined 6-over. A third pair of sisters, Karen and Mardi Lunn, was entered. But a hip injury forced Mardi Lunn to withdraw before the first round began.

McArthur won't return

Doug McArthur, who has been in charge of the Safeco Classic since its inception in 1982, is bowing out after this year.

"I've loved it, but I'm 65 and it's time to do something else," McArthur said. "My wife (Arlene) and I are going to get our summers back."

He said he'll remain in the golf business as a consultant.

Rosanna Bellotti, 35, who has been McArthur's assistant for several years, will replace him as tournament director.

Weather earns raves

Most players raved about course conditions yesterday and are looking forward to the weekend, when forecasters are predicting temperatures in the 80s.

The reaction of Sally Little, who had 68 yesterday, was typical.

"The greens are in the best condition I've ever seen them here," she said. "I can't believe the forecast. It's never been warm here."

Attendance

Safeco officials pegged yesterday's corwd at 7,100. The record of 9,100 for Thursday was set in 1992. Last year, 8,600 showed up for the first round.

Buckeye fan pays off

Meg Mallon has purple and gold head covers on her woods this week.

No, she's not a Husky football fan. In fact, she went to Ohio State and loves her Buckeyes. But, she lost a bet on last week's Washington-Ohio State football to ex-Husky golfer Robin Walton.

No Tiger for UW invitational

When Husky men's golf team stages the Husky Invitational at Harbour Pointe Monday and Tuesday, rising star Tiger Woods of Stanford will not be there.

During the Northwest Players Championship at Sahalee recently, a member of the Stanford team indicated the Cardinal would play at the Husky Invitational, but that is not the case.

Stanford and Woods will come to the Northwest in the spring when the Pac-10 championships are played in Walla Walla.

The teams that will play in at the Husky Invitational are: Idaho, Idaho State, Nevada, California, Washington State, Pepperdine, College of Charleston, Hawaii-Hilo, Boise State, Brigham Young, Cal State-Northridge, Oregon, Oregon State, Weber State, Pacific and Portland.

FIRST ROUND PAR SCORES (Scores with relation to par of the $500,000 LPGA Safeco Classic, played on the 6,234-yard, par 36-36-72 Meridan Valley Country Club)

Annika Sorenstam 32-35-67 -5. Sally Little 35-33-68 -4. Chris Johnson 36-32-68 -4. Michelle Estill 35-33-68 -4. Colleen Walker 34-35-69 -3. Hiromi Kobayashi 34-35-69 -3. Betsy King 34-35-69 -3. Connie Chillemi 32-37-69 -3. Brandie Burton 33-36-69 -3. Marianne Morris 35-34-69 -3. Alicia Dibos 35-34-69 -3. Michelle McGann 33-37-70 -2. Rosie Jones 35-35-70 -2. Dawn Coe-Jones 35-35-70 -2. Alison Nicholas 33-37-70 -2. Julie Larsen 36-34-70 -2. Mary Beth Zimmerman 32-39-71 -1. Sherri Turner 36-35-71 -1. Deb Richard 35-36-71 -1. Susie Redman 36-35-71 -1. Caroline Pierce 35-36-71 -1. Lauri Merten 36-35-71 -1. Juli Inkster 33-38-71 -1. Gail Graham 37-34-71 -1. Dale Eggeling 36-35-71 -1. Dana Dormann 36-35-71 -1. Beth Daniel 36-35-71 -1. Noelle Daghe 36-35-71 -1. Michele Redman 33-38-71 -1. Vicki Goetze 33-38-71 -1. Jennifer Wyatt 34-38-72 E. Lisa Walters 36-36-72 E. Kris Tschetter 37-35-72 E. Patty Sheehan 36-36-72 E. Terry-Jo Myers 35-37-72 E. Laurel Kean 37-35-72 E. Tammie Green 37-35-72 E. Allison Finney 35-37-72 E. Vicki Fergon 37-35-72 E. Elaine Crosby 37-35-72 E. Donna Andrews 38-34-72 E. Amy Fruhwirth 36-36-72 E. Karen Lunn 36-36-72 E. Eva Dahlof 37-35-72 E. Pamela Wright 37-36-73 +1. Jan Stephenson 35-38-73 +1. Kathy Postlewait 36-37-73 +1. Caroline Keggi 37-36-73 +1. Robin Hood 36-37-73 +1. Ellie Gibson 35-38-73 +1. Nina Foust 37-36-73 +1. Mitzi Edge 37-36-73 +1. JoAnne Carner 37-36-73 +1. Michelle Wooding 34-39-73 +1. Kelly Robbins 36-37-73 +1. Leigh Ann Mills 38-35-73 +1. Jodi Figley 36-37-73 +1. Helen Dobson 36-37-73 +1. Sherri Steinhauer 38-36-74 +2. Muffin Spencer-Devlin 37-37-74 +2. Pearl Sinn 38-36-74 +2. Nancy Scranton 34-40-74 +2. Laurie Rinker-Graham 36-38-74 +2. Cindy Rarick 35-39-74 +2. Liselotte Neumann 38-36-74 +2. Martha Nause 36-38-74 +2. Barb Mucha 35-39-74 +2. Dottie Mochrie 36-38-74 +2. Carolyn Hill 36-38-74 +2. Penny Hammel 37-37-74 +2. Jane Geddes 37-37-74 +2. Cindy Figg-Currier 36-38-74 +2. Amy Benz 38-36-74 +2. Kim Saiki 36-38-74 +2. Karen Noble 36-38-74 +2. Lisa Kiggens 36-38-74 +2. Nicole Jeray 39-35-74 +2. Dina Ammaccapane 39-35-74 +2. Helen Alfredsson 37-37-74 +2. Hollis Stacy 36-39-75 +3. Cindy Schreyer 38-37-75 +3. Kris Monaghan 36-39-75 +3. Alice Miller 39-36-75 +3. Meg Mallon 39-36-75 +3. Jenny Lidback 37-38-75 +3. Cathy Johnston-Forbes 37-38-75 +3. Nancy Harvey 37-38-75 +3. Lori Garbacz 39-36-75 +3. Martha Faulconer 36-39-75 +3. Page Dunlap 37-38-75 +3. Jill Briles-Hinton 37-38-75 +3. Pat Bradley 37-38-75 +3. Amy Alcott 37-38-75 +3. Denise Baldwin 38-37-75 +3. Janet Anderson 36-40-76 +4. Lori West 35-41-76 +4. Robin Walton 38-38-76 +4. Barb Thomas 37-39-76 +4. Sharon Barrett 34-42-76 +4. Nancy Ramsbottom 36-40-76 +4. Joan Pitcock 37-39-76 +4. Katie Peterson-Parker 35-41-76 +4. Nicky Le Roux 39-37-76 +4. Tracy Kerdyk 38-38-76 +4. Marta Figueras-Dotti 39-37-76 +4. Barb Bunkowsky 39-37-76 +4. Jerilyn Britz 39-37-76 +4. Jody Anschutz 37-39-76 +4. Danielle Ammaccapane 40-36-76 +4. Florence Descampe 39-37-76 +4. Stefania Croce 37-39-76 +4. Terri Thompson 37-39-76 +4. Maggie Will 39-38-77 +5. Val Skinner 39-38-77 +5. Amy Read 39-38-77 +5. Stephanie Maynor 39-38-77 +5. Laura Davies 42-35-77 +5. Lynn Connelly 39-38-77 +5. Laura Baugh 40-37-77 +5. Tina Barrett 39-38-77 +5. Jean Zedlitz 38-39-77 +5. Audrey Wooding 38-39-77 +5. Susan Thielbar 39-38-77 +5. Kim Cathrein 36-41-77 +5. Lenore Rittenhouse 35-43-78 +6. Missie McGeorge 41-37-78 +6. Patty Jordan 40-38-78 +6. Kathy Guadagnino 38-40-78 +6. Heather Drew 37-41-78 +6. Judy Dickinson 37-41-78 +6. Missie Berteotti 38-40-78 +6. Kim Williams 42-37-79 +7. Tina Tombs 41-38-79 +7. Janice Gibson 39-40-79 +7. Stephanie Farwig 37-42-79 +7. Jane Crafter 41-38-79 +7. Nanci Bowen 40-39-79 +7. Nancy Taylor 40-40-80 +8. Kim Shipman 42-38-80 +8. Shirley Furlong 42-39-81 +9. Luciana Bemvenuti 43-38-81 +9. Suzanne Strudwick 41-42-83 +11. Trish Johnson 41-45-86 +14. Deborah Vidal 39-39-78- WD. Pamela Allen DNS. Mardi Lunn DNS.