WILLIAMSBURG (Virginia): Former World No 1 Annika Sorenstam outclassed top-ranked Lorena Ochoa in a head-to-head duel on Saturday to keep a three-stroke lead after three rounds of the LPGA Michelob Ultra Open.

Swedish legend Annika, a winner in 19 of the past 20 events she has led entering the final round, fired a two-under 69 to stand on 14-under 199 after 54 holes at Kingsmill with South Korean Jeong Jang three back after a 69.

Annika, who fired two of her three lowest rounds of the past two years on Thursday and Friday, seeks her 72nd career title and a US$330,000 (RM1 million) top prize at the US$2.2 million event.

A birdie at the seventh and back-to-back 20-foot curving birdie putts at 13 and 14 gave the Swede a four-stroke lead on Jeong after 17 holes.

But Annika splashed her tee shot at 18 into the water and scrambled to rescue a bogey, her first of the week, to keep the same lead as she had when she began the round.
"I still love this place so I'm looking forward to a great final round," Annika said.

Prior to this season, Annika had gone 15 months without winning an event.

Playing alongside Annika for the third day in a row, Lorena struggled through the round after starting the day sharing second with Jeong. She finished with a 74 to share 10th on 207.

Lorena opened with a birdie and added another at the seventh but followed that with bogeys on four of the next five holes and another at the par-three 17th while Annika surged ahead.

"I think it was just a bad day for me," Lorena said. "It was a struggle, especially the back nine, a lot more on the greens and just a bad day for me."

American Christina Kim was third on 203, two strokes ahead of Sweden's Maria Hjorth with Britain's Karen Stupples, Taiwan's Candie Kung and Koreans Oh Ji-young, Lee Jee-young and Park In-bee all on 206. -- AFP