Three tied for lead into last day

Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb finally get a chance to take golf's best rivalry to the biggest stage.

Webb, the youngest woman to win the career Grand Slam, made up a six-stroke deficit Saturday with the best round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, a 5-under 67 that gave her a three-way share of the lead.

``It's going to be a good finish,'' Webb said. ``I think we'll leave it all out there.''

Sorenstam, the first woman to shoot 59 and earn $2 million in one season, will meet her on the first tee Sunday morning, the first time they have played together in the final group of a major championship.

``I look forward to it,'' Sorenstam said after a 71. ``I've got a chance to win tomorrow, and that was my goal at the beginning of the week.''

They have plenty of company.

Joining them at 4-under 212 is Liselotte Neumann, who went from a two-stroke lead to a three-stroke deficit, then finished strong with birdies on two of the last three holes for a 73, still very much in the hunt for her first victory in four years.

``It was a big struggle all day, and to finish that way is so big,'' Neumann said.

Rosie Jones had the lead at 6 under until she started missing greens and missing putts, making bogey on three of her last seven holes for a 72. The best woman to never win a major, she had no problem seeing the big picture.

With 18 holes to play, she was only one stroke behind, along with Becky Iverson (69).

``One shot takes about among seven minutes to make up,'' Jones said.

Still, the spotlight is on the Sorenstam and Webb, who have ruled women's golf the way Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus did some 40 years ago.

Sorenstam has 32 victories and three majors, and will try to become the first player to win consecutive titles in the Nabisco Championship. Webb has 26 victories and has won five of the last nine majors.

Both already have enough points for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Both have traded places at No. 1 in the world. They have finished 1-2 in 10 LPGA events, each with five victories.

``We bring out the best in one another,'' said Webb, who holed a 20-foot birdie on the 18th hole. ``I know I need to play my best golf to compete with her.''

The last time they were paired together was the Evian Masters last year in France, where Sorenstam won in a playoff. Earlier this year, the 31-year-old Swede made up a three-stroke deficit and beat Webb on the fourth playoff hole in the Australian Ladies Masters.

``I guess I'm 1-up,'' Sorenstam said. ``I hope she remembers that tomorrow.''

Still, this is far from a two-woman race to see who gets to jump into the lake on the island-green 18th, the signature moment of the Nabisco Championship.

Eleven players were within four shots of the lead going into the final round, which might not be much considering Webb made up six shots on Saturday.

Dorothy Delasin birdied the 18th for a 69 and was at 214, along with Cristie Kerr.

Lorena Ochoa, the Arizona sophomore who has won all six of her college tournaments this season. She had a 71 and was at 215, along with Lorie Kane of Canada, who got a boost with a hole-in-one from 160 yards with a 5-iron on No. 8.

``When Annika is having trouble reading greens, that's a good thing for anyone in the field,'' Kane said.

She looked over her shoulder in time to see Webb hole a 20-foot birdie on the final hole to join the leaders, and was asked whether Webb or Sorenstam was tougher to catch.

``Together, they're quite a pair,'' Kane said. ``Both of them want it. But I want it just as bad.''

No one is hitting the ball better than Webb going into the final round. On a hot, breezy day in the desert, she found her confidence early on the greens and developed a sweet rhythm with her swing over the final holes.

Webb figured she needed a score in the 60s to have a chance on Sunday, and she gave herself plenty of opportunities. She holed a 10-footer on the second hole that put her in a good frame of mind, and not even her lone bogey from a bunker on No. 12 slowed her momentum.

Webb, who won by 10 shots on the Dinah Shore course two years ago, holed a 15-footer on No. 13 and followed that with a wedge into 4 feet for birdie on the par-3 14th to move closer to the leaders.

She finished off her round with a 20-footer, although it was a test of her patience. A cell phone went off behind her, and Webb backed off. Then, the cell phone continued to beep and Webb turned around to see the woman punching buttons.

``I asked her how the beer tasted,'' Webb said, trying to keep her cool. ``Anyway, I made the putt and got out of there quickly.''

Divots

The hole-in-one on No. 8 was the second this week for Kane. She also got an ace on No. 5 during the pro-am. In the first round, she appeared to have yet another ace until the ball lipped out on No. 14. ... Someone inadvertently asked Webb whether having her and Sorenstam tied for the lead in a major was good for women's tennis. Webb laughed and replied,'' I don't know. Ask Venus.'' ... Clint Begay, the brother of Notah Begay, is carrying the bag for Dorothy Delasin this week. ... Arie Wongluekiet, the 15-year-old Thai amateur whoplayed in the final group two years ago, had a 73 and was six strokes behind.

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