HURST LIKES PATTER OF HER PUTTER BIRDIES GIVE HER THREE-STROKE LEAD AT WILSHIRE.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

Pat Hurst arrived at Wilshire Country Club on Monday worried about her putting.

A bigger worry today might be getting anyone to believe she has cause for concern.

The seven-year LPGA veteran seized control of the first LPGA tournament at Wilshire - the Office Depot hosted by Amy Alcott - by rolling in nine more birdie putts Friday, raising her two-round total to 16.

The latest barrage gave Hurst (67-67-134) a three-stroke lead over second-place Liselotte Neumann (70-67-137) going into today's final round on the 83-year-old urban Los Angeles course, which is playing to 6,346 yards and a par of 72 for the women's tour.

``I hit it pretty close on the back nine,'' said Hurst, whose 6-under-par 30 on that side was the best half-round of the tournament.

But she also rolled the ball well from long distance, for a second consecutive day.

Seven of her 16 birdies have been from 12 feet or longer, including putts of 12, 25, 18 and 25 feet Friday, when she also rolled in a 20-foot par-saver on No. 18. After hitting her approach into the rough beyond the green on that closing hole, she launched a brilliant recovery with a difficult pitch back downhill.

Her strong back nine, following two bogeys and a double bogey on the front side, was set up by solid approach shots hit close to the flagstick - including one that hit the flag on No. 15.

``I had a lot of short putts that I made,'' Hurst said. ``That gives you a lot of confidence when you start making some putts.''

Neumann is fighting to regain confidence while lodged in the second- longest winless drought of her 14-year LPGA career, a slump that stretched to two years, 11 months and 14 days Saturday - when she also saw reason for confidence.

``I played well,'' said Neumann, who offset two bogeys with five birdies and an eagle. ``The putts just didn't drop on the back side.''

They fell early, for birdies from 30, 10, 30 and 7 feet and a 12-foot eagle - on the 438-yard, par-5 sixth - during a front-side 31 that helped her finish as the only player within eight strokes of Hurst.

``I think getting off to a good start (today) is the key,'' Neumann said of what could come down to a match-play final pairing with Hurst. ``I will need to put pressure on Pat, and I know she is really good off the tee.''

Hurst isn't ready to look at her duel with Neumann as match play, although their closest pursuers - Kristi Albers and Michele Redman - are five strokes back of Neumann. Albers and Redman share third at 141, a stroke ahead of Dina Ammaccapane and hard-charging Angela Stanford and Kathryn Marshall.

Stanford, a 23-year-old rookie who was a tour qualifier in her first attempt, led all scorers Friday with a tournament-best 66 that vaulted her from a tie for 87th to a share of fourth.

Marshall moved up almost as quickly, shooting 67 to improve from a tie for 65th to earn her share of fourth.

Hurst, however, proved as capable as anyone in a 144-player field that included top-ranked Annika Sorenstam, who is bidding for a tour-record-tying fourth consecutive victory but is 10 strokes off the lead after a second-round 73.

Hurst, who includes a major title - the 1998 Nabisco Championship - among her three LPGA victories, said she ``felt very relaxed out there,'' and that helped her shake off a bogey and double bogey in her first three holes Friday.

``I try to take the bad with the good,'' she said.

She has also attempted to be more aggressive off the tee, which has risked bringing Wilshire's troublesome rough into play but also set her up for many short-iron approach shots.

``I think iron play is so important here because the greens are small,'' she said.

The aggressive strategy paid off for Hurst despite the fact ``my driver was a little bit all over the place today. I played from the 17th fairway on No. 10.''

And made birdie - after a wedge shot to 25 feet.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Pat Hurst drives off an early tee at Wilshire Country Club during second-round play in the Office Depot tournament.

(2) Second-place Liselotte Neumann, above, hopes to make up three strokes today on the leader.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box: LPGA Office Depot Scores