Ward & Koch top leaderboard

Wendy Ward moved into contention for her second straight LPGA Tour victory, shooting a 4-under 68 for a share of the third-round lead with Sweden's Carin Koch in the Corona Morelia Championship on Saturday.

Ward, a 31-year-old Texan who won the Takefuji Classic last week in Las Vegas for her first victory in nearly four years, lost the outright lead with a bogey on the par-5 18th, when her second shot rolled into a waste area just off the green.

``The ball really sat down. I thought I hit a good shot and walked up there and it was in that little waste area,'' Ward said. ``There was a cactus between me and the ball and a rock right where I was supposed to put my foot.''

She put her approach into the bunker and then missed a 7-foot par putt.

``I've never played the week after a victory so this is really an opportunity that I have,'' said Ward, whose day included six birdies and two bogeys.

Koch, winless since 2001, shot a 71 to match Ward at 8 under. She made a 12-foot putt for a birdie on the par-3 14th, but went over the green and two-putted from 10 feet for a bogey on 17.

``I think overall today I played pretty steady with a lot of good drives. I didn't play quite as steady as the first two days, but overall pretty good,'' said Koch, who just missed a birdie putt that would have given her back the lead on 18. ``Just a few putts that I let go today. I had a few bad putts and left a few short.''

She said she felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement being close to a victory after such a long winless streak.

``I know I'm going to be nervous, I was nervous today,'' Koch said. ``You've got to be a little bit nervous, otherwise it's against nature, I think.''

Natalie Gulbis was five strokes back after a 72, and Stacy Prammanasudh and Catriona Matthew were tied for fourth at 2 under after 70s.

A sunny morning gave way to dense clouds in the afternoon and officials ordered all players off the Tres Marias Golf Club at 4:49 p.m. because of lightning. Play resumed after a delay of 1 hour, 25 minutes.

Ward said before the round that she will have to keep winning in order to truly stay happy on tour.

``I'm not satisfied with just being an average player. To finish 31 or 32 on the money list like I did last year, that's an OK year ... but I'm a competitor so much on the inside,'' she said. ``The standards I have for myself, I just set them a little bit higher. And it is such a thrill to win and hold up that trophy that every time I do it, I can't wait to do it again.''

Mexico's Lorena Ochoa continued to struggle during the second tournament of the year in her homeland, failing to convert some makable puts in shooting a 76 to finish at 4 over. Hundreds of fans, many of whom chanted her name, followed her from hole to hole, even though she wasn't playing her best.

Ochoa, who won twice last year to become the LPGA Tour's first Mexican-born champion, also was the center of attention in the MasterCard Classic last month outside Mexico City, but failed to challenge winner Annika Sorenstam.

South Korea's Sung Ah Yim aced the 184-yard 13th with a 4-iron. She shot a 73 to finish at even par.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page