This time, there is no comfort zone, no room for error for Se Ri Pak.

Pak, with vivid memories of last year's record-setting victory, shot a 68 to join Shani Waugh and Jenny Lidback atop a crowded leaderboard today through three rounds of the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic.

"It will make for an exciting day,'' Pak said. "You know every shot you have to hit closely and must make the putt. Very exciting."

Five players were a shot back, including Karrie Webb, seeking her sixth victory of the year, and Mardi Lunn, the 18- and 36-hole leader. Fifteen players were within three shots of the lead.

It was a dramatic contrast to a year ago, when Pak shot consecutive rounds of 61 -- a tour record -- and 63 to build a nine-stroke lead heading into the last round. Her closing 66 gave her a 261 total, the lowest 72-hole score in tour history.

"Maybe tomorrow's more fun,'' Pak said. "Last year was fun, too.''

Waugh, a fourth-year pro from Australia, said she expected Pak to be ready but that the element of pressure could change things.

"I'm sure she likes the golf course. It depends on what goes through her head," Waugh said after a 68 that also left her at 8-under-par 205. "It's a little bit of extra pressure I'm not sure I'd want, but I'm sure she loves it."

After an 83-minute suspension of play due to lightning and rain, Pak stepped to her drive in the 16th fairway and promptly hit a wedge 7 feet from the pin. She rolled in the birdie putt to pull even with Lunn, then took sole possession of the lead when Lunn bogeyed the 14th hole moments later.

Seeking her third straight victory in Ohio, the 21-year-old Korean's 3-under-par 68 followed rounds of 69 and 68.

Waugh and Lidback followed a similar script with birdies on Nos. 16 and 18 to join Pak at the top.

Waugh made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 16th, then nearly holed a 9-iron third shot on the par-5 closing hole.

"I don't know if I would have been able to handle it if it had gone in,'' she said. "I'm nervous as it is."

Waugh has never finished higher than fourth in a tour event and missed the cut in 10 of her 16 starts before coming to Highland Meadows Golf Club.

Lidback, a native of Peru, knocked a 7-iron to 6 feet at No. 16 and then dropped a pitching wedge to 3 feet on the final hole to close out a 70.

"I was just trying to hang in there and finish by giving myself some chances for birdie,'' she said. "I did that and I happened to make a couple.''

While most of the field struggled with club selection on a day of gusting wind, Webb strung together nine straight pars before hitting a wedge to 4 feet on the last hole for a birdie to cap a 70.

"I really didn't think I could shoot 1-under and get away with being one shot off the lead,'' she said. "Anybody at 3-under or better has a chance. This course has given up a few low scores in the past. It's still possible that could happen. There are a lot of players still in the ball game.''

Lunn, winless in 129 LPGA starts, led by a shot after an opening 65, then built a three-stroke lead with a 67. But that melted with three consecutive bogeys to open her round.

Her 74 was the highest score of anyone in the top 16, but she said she still had as good a chance as anyone at winning.

"Anyone can win. You just have to go out there and go as low as you can," she said.

Also at 7-under 206 were Sherri Steinhauer, who had a 69, and Marisa Baena and Cindy McCurdy, each with 70s.

Baena, a rookie pro, hasn't made a cut since January.

"Obviously I'm nervous,'' said the three-time All-American at Arizona. "I've been playing to make the cut. Now I'm thinking about winning the tournament. That's a different mindset.''

At the time of the suspension, Lunn had a one-shot lead and her drive was sitting in the 12th fairway. But she was far from in the clear.

There were 20 players within four shots, 15 within three and eight within two strokes.

Korea's Mi Hyun Kim and Dale Eggeling jumped into contention with 6-under 65s. Kim started the day 10 shots out and Eggeling was 12 back. But after scoring the low rounds of the day, Kim trailed by two and Eggeling by four.

AP