Three share lead into last round

Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, fired a career-best 6-under-par 66 today to share a one-shot lead with Sophie Gustafson entering the final round of the Mizuno Classic.

Goetze-Ackerman, who last won as a mini-tour player in 1994, was tied at 9-under-par 135. Gustafson, a Swede tied for the lead after the opening round of $850,000 tournament, had a 69.

"I switched teachers recently, and there was a process of working on my swing where things finally became much better,'' said Goetze-Ackerman, a seven-year veteran of the tour who says more remains to be done. "I'm still not swinging quite the way I want to.''

But she's hopeful that the improvement will continue.

"Tomorrow is a new day,'' she said. "I could go out and find my perfect swing. I'm just going to take it one hole at a time and see what happens.''

Goetzke-Ackerman is trying to become the fourth player this year to get her first career title. Gustafson did that, then added a second tour victory.

Gustafson, who also has won twice on the Evian Ladies European Tour, is looking to add Japan to her list of conquered countries. She's won in the United States, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Thailand, Morocco and England.

"I just want to post a good score,'' she said. "Hopefully, I'll make a few putts and we'll see what happens. Of course, winning is the goal."

The 28-year-old recovered from an early three-putt to card seven birdies -- including four in a row from the 11th hole -- and beat her previous best score by a stroke. Four times in her career, she has carded a 67.

One of those rounds came this year in the Corning Classic, in which she tied for the lead and advanced to a three-way playoff with Betsy King and Kelli Kuehne. King eventually won, but the tie for second was Goetze-Ackerman's best career finish.

Yuri Fudoh, the Japan LPGA Tour's leading money winner who also has six titles this year, had a flawless 65 to move into a tie for third with compatriot Kasumi Fujii. She had a 68 for a two-round total of 136 on the 6,423-yard north course of the Seta Golf Club.

A victory Sunday would give Fudoh a $127,000 paycheck and a two-year membership on the LPGA Tour.

"Today's result was too good for me,'' said Fudoh, who captained the victorious JLPGA team in last week's Cisco World Ladies Challenge. "I surprised myself. My target score was a 70.''

England's Joanne Morley had a 67, and was two shots off the lead with defending champion Maria Hjorth of Sweden and JLPGA member Midori Yoneyama. Hjorth had a 69 and Yoneyama a 70.

Australian Rachel Hetherington, tied with Gustafson after the first round, was in a group three shots back after a 72.

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