Rosales extends lead to three shots

Jennifer Rosales of the Philippines fired a third-round 69 at the U.S. Women's Open on Saturday to extend her overnight lead from one to three shots and raise hopes of a first major victory.

The 25-year-old hit four birdies in her two-under-par round to finish seven-under on 206. World number one Annika Sorenstam and Americans Meg Mallon and Kelly Robbins, who all have major wins to their name, were joint second on 209.

Australian Rachel Teske was fifth on 210, one stroke ahead of fellow countrywoman Michelle Ellis at the Orchards Golf Club.

Michelle Wie, the 14-year-old amateur prodigy, was six shots off the pace after carding a 71 for 212, the same mark as Americans Pat Hurst, Kim Saiki, Moira Dunn and Taiwan's Candie Kung.

Wie's title ambitions nosedived when she three-putted the last for a double bogey. The Hawaiian schoolgirl has already finished fourth in one major this season, at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Rosales won her first LPGA tournament in Atlanta two months ago but she has made numerous appearances on leaderboards this year and is lying seventh on the money list with $404,000.

The Filipino has previously performed well in the majors. She was tied fourth in the 2002 British Open, joint ninth in last year's Kraft Nabisco and finished in the top 15 at the LPGA Championship three weeks ago.

In breezy conditions on Saturday, Rosales started by dropping a shot at the first and made another bogey at the short 10th. But birdies at the third, ninth, 13th and 18th more than made amends.

At last month's LPGA Championship in Delaware, she led after the first round and was one behind Sorenstam, the eventual winner, at halfway before slipping back into a tie for 13th.

"But I learned from that week," Rosales told reporters. "Today, I didn't even think about playing in the last group.

"I just told myself to stick to my game plan and everything would be okay.

"I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself tomorrow. Tonight I'm just going to relax and watch a movie."

Sorenstam, the 1995 and 1996 champion, dropped two shots in the first four holes but also sank a 12-foot eagle putt at the long 13th as she went round in a one-under 70.

"I started slowly but picked it up," said the Swede, who is chasing an eighth career major. "This is a hard course and you just have to keep grinding away."

Mallon, 41, has won three majors, including this championship in 1991, and her six-birdie 67 was the best score of the day.

Robbins, 34, who lost in a three-way play-off won by Hilary Lunke here a year ago, returned a 68.

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