Meunier-Lebouc tires, fades in late holes

<br>TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ All the interviews with French journalists this week have caught up with Patricia Meunier-Lebouc. <br><br>Meunier-Lebouc, who won the State Farm Classic last weekend prompting unusually

Friday, September 6th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ All the interviews with French journalists this week have caught up with Patricia Meunier-Lebouc.

Meunier-Lebouc, who won the State Farm Classic last weekend prompting unusually heavy media coverage in her native France, sprinted to 6-under after 12 holes of Friday's opening round in the Williams Championship.

But she tired and bogeyed the next two holes, costing her a share of the early lead with Tracy Hanson. Hanson finished 6-under at 64, one stroke ahead of Cristie Kerr in the three-day, 54-hole tournament. Meunier-Lebouc finished with a 4-under 66.

``I didn't get to sleep well enough the three days after my win,'' Meunier-Lebouc said. ``I'm not going to go out of my room tonight, get room service maybe and watch a movie on the DVD.''

The heat also didn't help Meunier-Lebouc, who faded in the later holes in practice and the pro-am tournament earlier this week. Temperatures in the high 90s and still, humid air kept other players gulping water and scurrying for shade between shots at the Tulsa Country Club.

``It was cool compared to earlier in the week, but by the back nine it was pretty hot again,'' said Catriona Matthew of Scotland, who finished tied with Meunier-Lebouc. ``I'm glad I played in the morning.''

Hanson had six birdies and no bogeys, hitting fairways consistently and sinking three long putts. She landed in the bunker on the 18th hole, only to save par with a soft pitch over the lip.

``I've been working on my bunker play this week,'' Hanson said. ``I saw exactly where I needed to hit it and I put it right there.''

Kerr was also 6-under until bogeying the 18th hole. She hit her tee shot into the rough and then her approach fell in the rough short of the green. An 8-foot putt could have salvaged par but it rolled just wide.

``I'm a little upset at that last hole,'' Kerr said.

``It's hard to stay focused on playing high-caliber golf in this kind of heat, and maybe that affected my drive on 18.''

Liselotte Neumann survived what she called ``one of the shortest drives I've ever hit'' to join Meunier-Lebouc, Matthew and Grace Park at 4-under.

On the par-4 15th, Neumann hit a tree with her first shot and landed just 50 yards from the tee. But she rebounded with two nice approach shots and sunk a 4-foot putt for par.

``So it was either really good or it was a struggle on that front nine, and then the back nine, it was pretty solid,'' said Neumann, a Swede who had four birdies and no bogeys.

Park birdied six holes in her third visit to the Tulsa Country Club. She played last year's inaugural Williams Championship and the NCAA tournament here.

``Honestly, every hole played so easy for me today, because my tee shot was really good and my irons were really solid,'' Park said.

Last year's champion, Gloria Park, has failed to make the cut in her previous two tournaments and three of the last four. She shot 72 Friday to finish 2-over. LPGA money leader Annika Sorenstam finished with a 2-under 68.

Meunier-Lebouc birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th before bogeying the next two.

On the 13th, she missed the green onto the right fringe, then chipped short onto a downhill green, not realizing the thick Bermuda would slow the roll. At 14, she hit left of the green and realized fatigue had set in.

``I'm happy I kept going and made some good shots to save par out there, because this course is not easy anyway,'' Meunier-Lebouc said.

After next week's Safeway Classic in Portland, Ore., the top U.S. and European players will play for the Solheim Cup at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn.