BRIEFLY : MANTLE MEMORABILIA BRINGS IN $541,880.

In an auction that Mickey Mantle's estate decried as ``ghoulish,'' a lock of the late Hall of Famer's hair sold Saturday for $6,900.

The Manhattan sale of Mantle memorabilia drew an overflow crowd to Leland's auction house, which agreed less than 24 hours earlier to withdraw 33 other personal items from the sale in a settlement with the Mantle family.

Three items that the family had sought to reclaim in a federal lawsuit were auctioned off. The lock of hair went for far above its presale estimate of $700; the other two personal items also exceeded their estimates.

Mantle's passport sold for $9,200, while his signed American Express platinum card brought $7,175. The identities of the buyers were not released.

When the final gavel fell, the total price paid for the Mantle memorabilia was $541,880.

On Friday, an assortment of Mantle's belongings were yanked off the auction block in a deal reached between the family of the New York Yankees star, the auction house, and his agent and longtime companion, Greer Johnson.

Although Mantle and his wife were estranged for the last 15 years of his life, they never divorced. Mantle met Johnson, 46, in 1984 and the two had a relationship until his death.

The funds from the auction will go into a charitable trust established by Johnson, who draws an annual salary from the trust.

TRACK AND FIELD: FBI agent and former world-class sprinter Daron Council asked for and took a bribe to pass on information about a drug investigation, according to the FBI.

Council, who beat Ben Johnson in the 100-meter race after Johnson returned from his steroid suspension in 1991, has been an FBI agent in New Orleans since 1992.

GOLF: Annika Sorenstam is threatening to end the LPGA season the same way she started it - at the top of the leaderboard. Sorenstam, looking to wrap up both the player-of-the-year and money-winning titles, shot a 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Nancy Lopez and Kelly Robbins going into the final round of the LPGA Tour Championship in Las Vegas.

Sorenstam, who won the first tournament of the year and four others, reeled off four straight birdies on the back nine and then made a 35-footer on the last hole for birdie to take charge going into the final 18 holes of the season.

Alexander Cejka threatened to turn the World Cup of Golf into his personal showcase, firing a 7-under-par 65 that propelled Germany to a two-stroke lead through three rounds of the $1.5 million event in Kiawah Island, S.C.

Johnny Miller shot a 69 to move into a tie with Loren Roberts heading into the final round of the Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational.

TENNIS: Mary Pierce defeated Nathalie Tauziat 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the semifinals of the $2 million Chase Championships in New York. Jana Novotna followed with an easy 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win over eighth-seeded Irina Spirlea of Romania.

HORSE RACING: Prize Giving burst between horses to gain command inside the sixteenth pole and went on to post a one-length victory over 8-5 favorite Embraceable You in the $80,250 Political Ambition Handicap at Hollywood Park. Prize Giving, ridden by Gary Stevens, veered in after overtaking pacesetter Egipcio and survived a stewards' inquiry to post his first victory in three U.S. starts.