"There's a lot of good players in the field, and I have a lot of respect for the girls," Webb said today after shooting a 3-under-par 69 in the third round of the Standard Register Ping. "Two shots is nothing. That can be turned around in one hole."

The 24-year-old Australian shot in the 60s for the sixth straight round, the third in this event, to reach 11-under-par 205. She has played her last 11 rounds in 48-under and is going after her third victory in six tournaments and her sixth straight top-10 finish.

But Lorie Kane, who has never won a LPGA title, agreed that Webb is not out of reach.

"When you have a swing and a game and an attitude like Karrie, you're going to have success," Kane said. "But if you look at the whole tour, we're really deep and any week anybody can win. She sets the stage, and any time she shows up, she's one you have to watch out for."

Webb was steady and untouchable on a day when wind and pavement-like greens at Moon Valley Country Club took a toll on almost everyone.

Avoiding disaster late, she two-putted from the fringe to save par on the 15th hole and blasted out of a fairway bunker on No. 17, saving par with a 6-foot putt.

"The (three) new greens were like bricks, but otherwise conditions were pretty much the same," Webb said.

Kane, who began the round tied with Webb and one shot behind Tracy Hanson, did the best job of staying close with a 71 and a total score of 207.

Playing catch-up on Sunday looks even tougher for the rest of the contenders. Wendy Ward and Tina Barrett are four shots behind, with Kristi Albers five back after shooting a sparkling 66 in the third round.

Martha Nause was six shots back, while Laura Davies, a four-time champion here, Patti Rizzo, Kim Saiki and Swedes Helen Alfredsson and Annika Sorenstam were seven strokes off the pace.

Alfredsson had a disappointing 74, but that was nothing compared with the experience of Hanson, who was at 9-under after rounds of 66-69. She had one birdie to offset five bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey on the way to an 81 that left her at par 216.

The lead changed hands on the first hole when Webb, whose 26-under score at the Australian Ladies Masters three weeks ago set an LPGA record, birdied and Hanson bogeyed.

Webb had another birdie on the fourth hole, but bogeyed the next.

She opened a two-shot lead on Kane with a birdie on No. 11, and two holes later got her last birdie by two-putting from 20 feet after reaching the 13th green in two shots.

Kane saved par with a 30-foot putt on the 16th hole and an 8-footer on the 17th, then birdied No. 18 from 15 feet to close the gap.