Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 18

SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 10, 1999 6B DETROIT FREE PRESS Palmer (84) sees book closing From Brighton to World Cup notebook: John Maginnes took the lead with a seven-under-par 64 in the second round of the Greater Milwaukee Open. His 12-under 130 gives him a one-stroke lead over Jerry Kelly and Carlos Franco. Lisa Kiggens, winless since her only LPGA tour in 1994, shot six-under 66 and took the second-round lead in the Michelob Light Classic at St. Louis. Kiggens, at 135, is one stroke up on Tina Barrett and Nancy Scranton.

Defending champion Lee Westwood charged into the lead with 67 for the third-round lead in the European PGA Loch Lomond at Glasgow, Scotland. Westwood is 12 under at 201. One stroke behind are Swedes Mats Lanner and Jesper Parnevik, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Welsh newcomer David Park. Fred Couples (poor play) and Steve Jones (illness) have withdrawn from next week's British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland. Dougherty cruised for the second straight day, following his first-round 68 with a 69 and a three-shot lead.

Dave Eichelberger's 69 left him at 140; Gil Morgan (71), Leonard Thompson (68) and Bob Duval (68) were third at 141. Palmer last missed the Senior Open cut in 1991. "This is terrible, the last two days," Palmer said. "I don't know that I will play much more competition like this. I may play a few tournaments, a Masters or something like that.

But unless I start hitting it a lot better in Latrobe (his Pennsylania home), I am not going to take it anywhere else. I have some commitments this year which I will finish, some events that I have committed to, but other than that, that is about it." Palmer, who will be 70 in September, said he'll play in the seniors' BankBoston Classic in August and probably next year's Senior Open at Saucon Valley in Pennsylvania. COLT ROUNDUP I Rl I. LVS Sl.RVK tS WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -Arnold Palmer sees the end coming. Frustrated by his two rounds in the U.S.

Senior Open, Palmer said Friday he could not see himself continuing in competitive golf much longer unless he starts playing better. Palmer never said "retire" and named some tournaments he planned to play. But he noted, "Well, I guess everything has to come to an end somewhere." Perhaps the most popular golfer in history, Palmer failed to make the cut in the Senior Open after shooting rounds of 81 and 84. Friday's 84, which included a two-stroke penalty for an illegal putting stance as he was tapping in on No. 18, was his worst score ever in the Senior Open.

While Palmer struggled, Ed to it. It's weird, because you just tune it out. It's too big to seem real." Another local connection: Detroit area native Alexi Lalas served on the Women's World Cup advisory board along with some big names, including Lamar Hunt and Henry Kissinger. La-las now plays for Kansas City of Major League Soccer. Moving from forward to mid-field has been an interesting adjustment for Michelle Akers, who has gained a new appreciation for playing on her own end of the field.

"My brother's a defender, and he calls goal-scorers a bunch of pansies," she said. "Now I know what he means." U.S. coach Tony DiCicco has learned to watch his mouth around women more than men. "If you say something general, the women tend to internalize it and feel they've done something wrong," he said. "The guys, they all say, 'Yeah.

Everybody's screwing up but Today's game should be a star-studded affair. Among the celebrities expected to attend are Me-lanie Griffith, Antonio Banderas, Elizabeth Shue, K. D. Lang and Jennifer Lopez. Tickets reportedly are being scalped at four times face value.

Should the Americans win today, it means money. The players would split a $250,000 bonus from the U.S. Soccer Federation, adding to the $150,000 they received for reaching the final. Last year, the men's team reportedly would have received $400,000 for winning the World Cup in France. Depending on experience, women's players are being paid $2,100 to $3,150 a month.

was the realization of a dream. Seitz had attended the 1994 men's World Cup final at the Rose Bowl and told her husband, "I'm gonna be here someday, referee-ing matches at this level." This was someday. "My brain wasn't working," said Seitz, a Michigan State graduate. "It was just a whirlwind." So began her adventure. In the next few days, she attended a referees clinic near Boston and took a physical.

Then, that Sunday, she refereed a difficult round-robin match between Australia and Ghana at Foxboro Stadium, pulling three yellow cards and a red card during the 1-1 draw. "I think it might have been the toughest match of the tournament," said Seitz, 28, one of only two U.S. referees in the tournament. "It was an incredible experience, especially because I didn't get any time to mentally prepare for it. I didn't realize what I had done until the match was over." Afterward, Seitz served as a reserve official for three other matches, then went home to California, where she has lived for 2'A years with her husband, a Western Michigan graduate and Brighton native.

She will attend today's final as a guest of the U.S. Soccer Federation. "This is something I'll remember as long as I live," Seitz said. "I'm just glad I got the chance." QUICK KICKS: At times, the enormity of the event has eluded U.S. defender Kate Sobrero, a Bloom-field Hills resident.

"Right now, it just seems like a normal tournament," she said. "It doesn't seem like the World Cup final. It's like an everyday game, except 90,000 people are coming HYDROS I Little's role anything but Substitute referee's adventure began on eight hours' notice NOTEBOOK By NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA 'Z I Kit MHiRIS VVRIitR PASADENA, Calif. Brighton native Kari Seitz was relaxing at home in San Mateo, on a Tuesday night last month when the phone rang around 10:30.

The caller had an urgent message, culminating in a surprising question: "Can you be on a plane to Boston at 6 a.m.?" Seitz was so shocked, she put the (Jailer on hold and grabbed her husband, Glen VarnHagen. Seitz had'been a soccer referee for 14 years, dating to her days at Brighton High. Now she had been asked to referee in the Women's World Cup; as an emergency replacement, because a foreign referee had been denied a visa. "What do I do?" she said. "What do you mean?" VarnHagen said.

"You go." So Seitz called the San Francisco advertising agency for which she works, left a voice-mail message to say she would be gone for a month, and packed just about everything she owned. "She was very stunned, very surprised and very scared all at the same time," VarnHagen said. heart was racing. She had worked everything from youth leagues to men's pro leagues to women's international matches, including the Americans' match April 14 against China near New York. But this was different.

This Outlined against a blue, gray July sky, U.S. goalie Brina Scurry leaps to recover the ball during Friday's practice at the Rose Bowl, site of today's Women's World Cup final. GUP I China poses great challenge From Page IB "Games between the two teams always are exciting, fast-paced exhibitions of entertaining, technical soccer. The Chinese are under-siaeTd in relation to the Americans bqtjiighly skilled. They love to attack from the back, and they have a star forward in Sun Wen, wno is tied for the tournament lead with seven goals.

U.S. defense stifled Brazil-iap Striker Sissi in the semifinals ananas three shutouts, but it has struggled at times in the tournament. That makes the play of Bloomfield Hills resident Kate So-brjNro, the anchor of the central dofSnse, especially important. i "I've definitely got my work cut oift for me," Sobrero said of Sun. "Imean, gosh, seven goals.

She's juft so good in every aspect of her game. She's unselfish. She can get to'ny ball. She's got good speed. just a complete forward.

Hopefully, I'll be able to do OK against her." Pefender Joy Fawcett said the Americans can't afford to play the majority of the game on their half of the field. We've got to keep the ball and their defense back, and we've got to stay organized," she said. "Otherwise, they can burn us pretty easily." The Chinese have gone to great pains to prepare. They complained about crossing the continent four times but adapted, anyway. While in Foxboro, for Sunday's semifinal, Ma already had his players on a West Coast schedule.

They were receiving food from Log Angeles-area Chinese Ameri- 'It? t'Jl-- RIVER RIPPIN' What Gold Cup hydroplane race. When: 3:10 p.m. Sunday. Where: Detroit River, off Belle isle. Radio: WWJ-AM (950).

Sunday's other finals: 11 a.m. -5-liters; 12:10 p.m. -inflatables; 12:40 Jersey speed skiffs; 1:40 unlimited lights. Daily schedule: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. today testing, time trials and qualifying.

Special events: vintage race boat exhibition runs, 4:10 p.m. today and 10 a.m, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: Call 800-359-7760. the day's practice and qualifying heats.

Though he never raced one, Little used to drive unlimiteds in qualifying and testing, "and I'd get in when the driver told me that something was wrong so I could be sure it was the boat and not some damn-fool thing he was doing. And I was racing an offshore boat myself. "But my racing ended when I rolled the offshore boat during a Miami-Palm Beach race and spent six hours bleeding like a racehorse and hanging onto a buoy while I waited for the sharks to show up. My wife was waiting for me at the finish in Miami, and I was in a Palm Beach hospital." Little's tanned, creased face reflects his emotions like a mirror. Things that please him produce an ear-to-ear grin and deep, barking laugh.

Aggravation or anger bring a furrowed brow, raised bushy eyebrows and a gimlet stare. After a couple of major surgeries, many men of Little's age would be happy to put their feet up for a while. He recoils in horror at the idea of retirement. "Oh, no. Never," he said.

"On a Sunday, I'm so bored I can't wait for Monday to come. If we could open seven days a week, that would be great. "My two sons, Joe and Bernie run the Budweiser distributorships, but I still stay involved in any important decisions. I buy and sell yachts, mostly the ones that go for $10 million or more. Right now, I have four of them, and we're doing a tremendous charter business in the Mediterranean: $91,000 a week, and all that gets you is the boat.

You have to bring your own booze. "I sell a lot of airplanes and helicopters, too. There's big money in that." inspiration: The last man to drive a Miss Detroit Yacht Club boat in a Gold Cup race was legendary Gar Wood, who won the event in 1921. Tonight, memories of Wood will inspire Mark Weber when he drives the latest Miss DYC. Members of Wood's family will be on hand to deliver two teddy bears that Wood always carried in the cockpit during races.

Fred Farley of Seattle, the historian of unlimited racing, said that when Wood crashed Miss America VI in 1928 on the St. Clair River, "they rescued the teddy bears before they saved the boat." Weber, who lives in St. Clair Shores, qualified at 157.72 m.p.h., second-fastest of the eight boats that have qualified. Three more will make qualifying runs today. FINALE: Steve David said this is his last year in unlimited hydroplane racing.

The pilot of the black-and-gold Chrysler-Jeep boat said that racing wrecked his first marriage after 23 years, and he doesn't want a repeat when he gets married later this year. "It just takes so much of you that there's not much left for your wife," said David, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. "You're always away racing or testing, and when you race, she never knows if you're going to come home in one piece." in memory: Little red hearts on the tailfins of Miss Pico bear the message, "This one's for you, Jamie Edwards." They appeared Friday morning, a day after Edwards died of cancer in Seattle. "Jamie is the son-in-law of Sonny Parsons, one of our crew guys who does the telemetry work for us," crew member Steve Lamson said.

"Six months ago, Jamie was a healthy guy. Sonny couldn't be here in person, so we put the heart on so he knows he and Jamie are still with us." ERIC SHARP can be reached at 313-222-2511 or esharpfreepress.com IIPMAMnf I Faar mm mm fear Ail vv'L-vv U.S.VS. CHINA SCOUTING REPORT From Page IB in Ohio, already had learned that in business, it's better to get even than to get mad. "We worked our butts off over the years to get where we are today," Little said. "And we have helped out some of the other teams.

But we need to have boats in the field and put on a good show if we expect people to take us seriously. It's getting a lot better, though. Most of the owners we have today can afford to go racing like me." Which is something of an exaggeration. Little has spent as much as $3.5 million a year on his team and routinely outspends the next-closest competitor by 2-to-1. The return has been one of the most successful records in any form of motor sport: 128 victories including 12 Gold Cups, hydroplane racing's equivalent of the Kentucky Derby.

In fact, Little was too successful. A new rule says a boat that wins two races in a row can't start on the favored inside lane. And after three successive victories it must start in lane 3. "That was put in because we won eight out of 10 races," Little said. "It's ridiculous.

If they're not as fast as we are, I don't want to move backward toward them. I want them to move up to us." The rule doesn't apply in Sunday's Gold Cup, and Little said driver Dave Villwock is confident that he has enough speed and power to run past any opponent no matter where he starts. But Villwock crashed trying to do just that last weekend at Madison, which was won by Chip Hanauer, a former Miss Bud-weiser driver. Budweiser became a powerful team soon after Little befriended August Busch III, who took a liking to unlimited hydroplane racing and the brash Florida car hustler in the 1960s. Busch decided to back the boat, and the rest is history.

Busch also awarded Little a Budweiser distributorship in central Florida, an empire that has now grown to three distributorships and numerous other businesses. Like royalty holding court, Little and his wife of 56 years, Jane, entertained a stream of well-wishers Friday as they sat aboard their luxurious bus in the pit area next to Waterworks Park. High winds had blown out SA Moil, Sat. 9-6 Thur. Fri.

9-9 Sun. 12-4 m-mmmm 3 W2M NICK UTAssociated Press Hilis resident Kate Sobrero, who probably will face off against Sun at several points, The Chinese are nearly as experienced as the Americans, but they love to attack from the back even more. Edge: Chinese. Goalkeepers: They call Gao Hong "The Great Wall of China" for a reason. Although she might be suspect on rebounds, she is good enough to have a 9wagger, and she's fast, using her speed to charge balls aggres- sively.

Bhana Scurry has been outstanding for the Americans: The bigger the game, the bigger the per-: formance. She was the difference in the semifinals against Brazil, and she might be today, too. Edge: Americans. Overview: The three games between these two teams this year ended with 2-1 scores, with the Chinese on top twice. They were fast-paced and exerting because the Chinese are so skilled.

They have dominated the World Cup. The question today is whether the Americans, who haven't played their best yet, will be too caught up in the event or will be carried to victory by it Well, this tournament already has been too good to be true. Why should today be any different? Prediction: United States 2, China 1. conditions are favorable for a topflight U.S. performance.

Pressure and travel took their toll on the Americans early in the tournament. "When we made the final, it was a relief more than anything," midfielder Julie Foudy said. But now the players have had five days to rest and should be nothing less than sharp. "We have a lot of challenges against China," DiCicco said. "They are very technical.

But I like my team. We have played some tough games to get ourselves ready. Germany was very technical. Certainly, the Brazilians were very technical. We're ready for what should be a great final." NICHOLAS J.

COTSONIKA can be reached at 313-222-8831 or PflPifl AO mmmmwrnw Free Press sports writer Nicholas J. Cotsonlka scouts the Women's. World Cup final: forwards: Mama Mial Hamm hasn't scored since the first two games of the tournament. She'll be draped by defenders, but watch her closely. "It would be fitting ff she scored a goal or two and we won," U.S.

coach Tony DiCiCco said. Along with Tiffeny Miibrett, another strong sniper, and i Cindy Parlow, whose 5-foot-1 1 frame will be too tall for the smaller Chinese, the Americans have enough firepower to counteract the formidable skills of Sun Wen. Edge: Americans. Midfielders: No team in the world is more organized than the mobile Chinese, and everything starts In the middle, their fast breaks, their counterattacks. Julie Foudy needs to put down the doughnuts she toves so much and start playing more assertive soccer.

Michelle Akers needs to continue being a fierce warrior and avoid Injury. The Americans must protect the flanks. Edge: Chinese. Defenders: There are two ways of looking at the U.S. defense: Either it's experienced or it's old.

Either way, it i has been less than perfect in this tournament and needs to be better, i The standout has been Bloomfield cans, but because the friendly caterers had a tendency to "take two hours to chat," Ma said, the team began ordering takeout. They raised a ruckus Thursday. More than 2,000 fans attended the U.S. workout at Pomona College in Claremont, but the Chinese followed by shooing them all away and the pesky media, too before beginning practice. The Chinese are not intimidated, and the expected crowd of nearly 90,000 fans a record for a women's sporting event likely won't change that.

"They won't have any problem," U.S. coach Tony DiCicco said. There is no doubt in DiCicco's mind that his team must play its best game of the tournament to win. But the good news is that the SUITS INCLUDES 7 FREE WAIST CUFF ALTERATIONS VE LIKE NEVER BEFORE! Over 1,000 New Arrivals from A Top Montreal Supplier Includes NEW 3 Button Double Breasted Styles Sizes 38 Short to 48 Long FREEDS OF WINDSOR Also Carries PEERLESS MAN, CANALI MORE at GREAT 'f' Sindon. Jr-.