Ochoa takes narrow advantage into final day

Lorena Ochoa put herself in position to win the first tournament of her young career -- again.

Ochoa shot a 5-under 67 and took a one-stroke lead Saturday through three rounds of the inaugural Franklin American Mortgage Championship.

She shared a one-stroke lead with Pat Hurst heading into Saturday, and took a big step toward a victory with a seven-birdie, two-bogey round. The 2003 Rookie of the Year, who has 13 top-10 finishes in her short career, is at 12-under 204.

"I try to give myself chances to win tournaments," Ochoa said.

"I think I'm ready. I'm prepared. I learned a lot from last year and this year, you know. I can't wait for it to happen. I'm going to try to enjoy the moment and let it happen."

One week after sharing the third-round lead and finishing second, Ochoa struggled with her putter and started slowly Saturday with bogeys at Nos. 3 and 6.

Lorena Ochoa shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday. (AP)
She then remembered how many holes remained, talked with her caddie about reading the greens better and rebounded with birdies on six of the next nine holes to move into the lead.

"That was the key of my day. Even though I made my mistakes on the front nine, then the next hole I birdied, so I didn't get down and didn't have time to get frustrated or angry. That was very important," she said.

Mi Hyun Kim tied the course record with an 8-under 64, her lowest round of the year, and moved into a tie for second at 11-under 204. After not making a birdie in the second round, Kim had eight birdies in a bogey-free third round.

Hurst had sole possession of the lead through 11 holes, but made six straight pars before making birdie at No. 18 for a 68 and moving into a tie for second with Kim. Hurst said whoever wins Sunday will have to shoot a very low score.

"It's going to take a lot of birdies. You just have to go out and play your own game and who knows where that will take me?" said Hurst, a three-time winner whose last victory came in this tournament in 2000.

Wendy Ward (68) was at 206, and Stacy Prammanasudh (68) at 207.

Sixteen golfers who failed to finish their second round on Friday returned early Saturday. But that start was delayed for an hour after 1½ inches of rain overnight.

Players were sent off the first and 10th tees for the third round, and the skies opened up again just as play was completed.

Ward said the fairways remained playable, even though golfers still needed plenty of relief from casual water.

"The fact you can still play is really unbelievable," she said.

Seven golfers were within two strokes of the lead when the third round started, and the leaderboard got more crowded as the players took advantage of the soft conditions on the Ironhorse course at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.

At one point, Hurst, Kim, Ochoa and Ward were tied for first. Hurst then birdied three of the next five holes to go to 10 under, starting on No. 7 when she got up and down after hitting into the greenside bunker on the par-5, 470-yard hole.

It became a three-woman race as Kim, four groups behind Hurst and Ochoa, birdied Nos. 14 and 15.

But Ochoa gave herself a two-stroke margin with her fourth birdie in five holes on the par-5 No. 14. She wound up hitting all 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens where she really had her putter working with all but one birdie between 8 and 12 feet.

Ochoa, at No. 5, is the highest-ranked player on this year's money list in the event. It doesn't bother her that some of the top golfers aren't competing this week.

"I'm trying to go one step at a time and win a tournament is one big step. It doesn't matter which one," she said.

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