Angelo Que still trails despite 69

MANILA, Philippines — Angelo Que sustained his hot form and shot a second straight 69 but still stood seven strokes off Seungsu Han after three rounds of the Kansai Open Golf Championship at the Koma Country Club in Nara, Japan yesterday.

The power-hitting Que, who hit two eagles in the first two days for 70-69 efforts, gunned down four birdies against a three-putt bogey on No. 7 while rescuing pars in all six times that he went out of regulation. He pooled a 54-hole total for joint 10th with Terumichi Kakazu, who sizzled with a 66, in the $6 million championship.

But Han, who seized control with a 63 in the second round, proved hotter, firing five birdies for a solid 67 and a 201, one stroke ahead of Ryu Hyun-Woo, who assembled a 202 after 69.

After a mediocre 72-71, Juvic Pagunsan found his rhythm and touch, sinking five birdies against a three-putt mishap on the ninth for a 68 that moved the smooth-swinging Filipino shotmaker to joint 22nd at 211, 10 shots off the pace.

Dottie Ardina, meanwhile, took another early exit in the LPGA Tour, carding a second straight two-over 73 for a 146, four shots below the cutoff score in the Pure Silk Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia Friday. ?