Two-time champion Rosie Jones knows she's in a precarious position. She's in the lead of the Corning Classic.

"I'll try to go to bed thinking I'm not in front at all," said Jones, who heads into Sunday's final round one stroke ahead of Kelli Kuehne and several others close behind. "Sometimes I play better thinking I'm down by one or two."

Jones, the local favorite whose playoff win over Tammie Green in 1997 gave her two straight Corning titles, was at 9-under after shooting a second straight 68 today for a three-day total of 207.

Her game plan for the final round? Don't worry about it.

"Tonight I'll go over some things in my head and then drop it and go do whatever," said Jones, who pulled ahead of Jean Bartholomew.

Bartholomew led until she double-bogeyed Nos. 13 and 14 and dropped to 211. Kathryn Marshall was at 209, followed by Hiromi Kobayashi and former Corning champion Sherri Turner another stroke back. Stefania Croce and Denise Killeen were tied with Bartholomew at 211.

Kuehne stayed close with a 70 after shooting 69s the first two rounds.

"She's definitely on a mission," Jones said of Kuehne. "She's going to go out there and try to get her first win."

Four straight birdies on Nos. 5-8 pulled Jones even with Bartholomew. Jones parred the next nine holes and ignited the large gallery with a birdie on No. 17 before finishing the hot, dry day with a bogey.

"I had chances for birdies on 15 and 16, but they just didn't go," Jones said.

A lot went wrong for Bartholomew after a strong start. She shot a 64 to take a one-stroke lead at 7-under in Friday's second round. Today, she parred the tricky first hole, eagled No. 2 and birdied No. 5 to go 10-under.

But she faded fast. On 14, she wound up under a tree and missed a short putt that would have salvaged a bogey.

"Putting was the difference today,'' Bartholomew said. "I had a lot of downhill putts and was tentative with them.''

Acknowledging her unpredictable play lately, Bartholomew said, "I'm either going to shoot 90 or 60 tomorrow."

Low scoring has been the norm at the 6,062-yard, par-72 Corning Country Club course, as every winning score since 1985 has been at least 10-under.

But the back nine gave the golfers some fits today. Kuehne bogeyed 13 and 18.

"If you don't hit the greens in the right spot, you pay the price," she said. "I had some better shots late, but didn't make the putts."

Kuehne, winner of the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1995 and 1996, grew up in a golfing family. Her brother Trip was beaten by Tiger Woods in the 1994 U.S. Amateur final. Her brother Hank won last year's U.S. Amateur Championship.

The transition to the tour was tough for Kuehne. As a rookie last year she played in 24 tournaments and earned $39,831, and her best finish was a tie for 20th.

Kuehne is playing better because she has learned to relax. "I'm having more fun,'' she said. "Last year I put too much pressure on myself to win right away. My knees were knocking on every shot."

A.J. Eathorne, a 22-year-old rookie who won the Canadian Ladies Amateur in 1997, moved to 4-under with a low score of 65. She sank a 35-foot putt on her final hole Friday to make the cut.

"I told myself I was either going to make the putt or go to Buffalo to watch the Sabres," said Eathorne, who is rooting for Buffalo to win the Stanley Cup. "My ball decided that I would spend the weekend here."

AP