Stacy Prammanasudh vaults clear with 65

Stacy Prammanasudh shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over defending champ Lorena Ochoa into the final round of the LPGA Franklin American Mortgage Championship.

Prammanasudh, a 25-year-old Oklahoman who finished a career-best third last year as a rookie, made a pair of short birdie putts on her final two holes to finish three rounds at 11-under 205 in the tournament plagued by rain delays.

Prammanasudh hit every fairway and 17 of 18 greens in regulation. She birdied three consecutive holes on the front nine to move into a tie with Ochoa, playing two groups ahead, added birdies on Nos. 10 and 15 to reach 9-under.

Ochoa, the young Mexican star defending her first LPGA Tour title, missed a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 17, and then went for the green in two on the par-5 18th. She pushed her fairway wood right and the ball took a big hop into the water. After dropping, Ochoa chipped within 5 feet of the cup, and holed the par putt for a 68.

Catriona Matthew (65) was third at 7-under, Christina Kim (69) was another stroke back, and Grace Park (70), Cristie Kerr (72) and Jeong Jang (70) were 5-under.

Ochoa finished off a second-round 68 in the morning for a share of the lead with Kerr, Liselotte Neumann and Wendy Ward. Neumann and Ward struggled in Ochoa's group, shooting 76s to drop 10 strokes behind Prammanasudh.

Ochoa struggled at the end of her second round, bogeying Nos. 12 and 13 before rebounding with birdies on 15 and 18.

There was finally a break in the weather on Saturday. The course was still saturated, but 18 players were under par and 77 made the cut of 6-over. The event had seen six straight rounds of precipitation dating to the first round last year.

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