Teske takes over lead with 66

Rachel Teske is having fun at the LPGA Samsung World Championship, and insists she's not paying attention to the leaderboard.

"It just feels so good to hit good shots," the Australian-born Teske said after a 6-under 66 Saturday gave her a one-shot lead after three rounds.

"It's so much fun to time the ball right and hit those great shots," she said. "And that's what I'm enjoying. You don't get to do that all the time, so enjoy it while you can."

When she finally glanced at the scoreboard, at the 18th green at the Tournament Players Course at The Woodlands, just north of Houston, she was tied with Se Ri Pak and Beth Daniel for the lead. Then she rolled in a birdie putt -- her fourth birdie in the final five holes -- to claim the top spot all alone at 11-under 205.

"I look at the boards when I feel comfortable, and I felt pretty comfortable when I was only 10 feet from the pin," she said.

Teske, looking for her third LPGA victory this year, started the day at 5 under and two shots back of Pak.

She three-putted the par-4 No. 2 for bogey, then rolled in back-to-back birdies at Nos. 5 and 6. She made a 3-footer for birdie at No. 11 and a 12-footer at the par-3 No. 14 to give her a share of the lead at 8-under.

At the par-5 15th, she chipped from about 10 yards to 5 feet from the hole and made it for birdie, then holed out from a bunker at No. 16 for another birdie before closing out with the birdie at 18.

"I played really solid on the back nine, from 10 on," she said. "I timed the ball well and drove the ball better.

"I just love timing the ball well and being able to control the distance and shape of my shots. That's what I love about the game."

Daniel also was two shots behind Pak when play began, birdied the par-4 second hole, then had back-to-back birdies at Nos. 5 and 6 to get to 8-under and a share of the lead. She had the lead alone when her 3-footer for birdie at No. 9 went in, but missed a short putt at the par-4, 385-yard No. 10 for a bogey before a 24-foot putt from the back fringe of the 15th green went in for eagle. She finished with three straight pars for her 5-under 67.

"I left a lot of putts out there," said Daniel, 46, who became the oldest winner on the LPGA Tour when she won the Canadian Woman's Open in July. "I was off just enough to miss some putts."

Three of the players in the elite 20-woman field weren't born when she won this tournament in its inaugural year in 1980. She followed with another victory in 1981, and again in 1994.

"I'm not sure I get a kick out of it," she said of the age differences in the players. "It's kind of freaky."

Pak won this event in 1999 and has three LPGA victories this year. She birdied the first hole, then made 12 straight pars before birdies at 14 and 16. She wound up with a 69.

"Today was much more consistent," she said. "I was striking the ball well and have a lot of confidence ... I was just calm and had fun. There's still one day to go.

"Probably Sunday I will be much more aggressive."

Annika Sörenstam, who qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame Friday, also was two shots back at the start. She birdied the par-5 13th to get to 7-under, and grabbed a share of the lead with birdies at 14 and 15. She parred the rest of the way and remained in contention.

Sophie Gustafson used birdies on five of the first six holes to climb into a tie for the lead at 8-under but faded and finished with a 69 to tie with Juli Inkster -- both five shots back

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