SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN, Arizona (AFP)Lorena Ochoa of Mexico hits her tee shot on the 15th hole during the third round of the Safeway International, at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, on March 29, in Arizona. Ochoa, the defending champion, birdied the final hole in a four-under 68 for a 16-under total of 200, one stroke in front of South Korean Jee Young Lee and American Angela Stanford.
World number one Lorena Ochoa seized the lead Saturday after the third round of the LPGA Safeway International.
Ochoa, the defending champion, birdied the final hole in a four-under 68 for a 16-under total of 200, one stroke in front of South Korean Jee Young Lee and American Angela Stanford, who had held the lead after both the first and second rounds.
Stanford posted a 70 and Lee had a flawless 67 in her quest for her first victory on US soil.
Former world number one Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, who won the season-opening SBS Open and is a three-time winner of this event, had a slightly disappointing 72.
She gave up shots at the 16th and 17th and finish seven strokes adrift on nine-under.
Angela Stanford of the US pitches to the 14th green during the third round of the Safeway International at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, on March 29, in Arizona. Lorena Ochoa of Mexico birdied the final hole in a four-under 68 for a 16-under total of 200, one stroke in front of South Korean Jee Young Lee and Stanford, who had held the lead after both the first and second rounds.Ochoa and Stanford both birdied the first two holes. Ochoa added more at the fourth and fifth but dropped a shot at the 12th before her birdie at 18.
Stanford, who opened with a course-record 10-under 62 on Thursday, fell back after a couple of mid-round bogeys, but capped her round with back-to-back birdies at 17 and 18 to keep a second career victory within reach.
Stanford's only title to date came at the 2003 ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Lee, who won the LPGA Tour's 2005 Nine Bridges Classic in her native South Korea, came close to her first victory in the United States last year when she lost to Norway's Suzann Pettersen in a playoff at the Michelob ULTRA Open.
On Saturday Lee picked up shots at the second, fourth and seventh and added birdies at the 13th and 16th.
South Korean Inbee Park (65) and Briton Lindsey Wright (66) were tied for fourth at 12-under 204.
