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Lee leads McDonald's; Sorenstam, Ochoa two back
June 07, 2008
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 Lee fired a seven-under 65 in the third round
Havre de Grace, MD (Sports Network) - Jee Young Lee went four-under par over the last four holes to jump into the lead after three rounds of the McDonald's LPGA Championship.
Lee fired a seven-under 65 in the third round to complete 54 holes at 12- under-par 204.
She owns the 54-hole lead for the second time in her LPGA Tour career. The other came at the 2007 Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, where she lost in a playoff to Suzann Pettersen.
Lee's 54-hole total matched the tournament record. Patty Sheehan first set the mark in 1984 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, while Annika Sorenstam matched the record here in 2005.
Maria Hjorth also fired a 65 to jump into solo second at minus-11.
World Nos. 1 and 2 Lorena Ochoa and Sorenstam are tied for third place at 10-under-par 206. Sorenstam carded a four-under 68 and missed several makable birdie putts that could have moved her closer to the lead.
Ochoa stumbled to a double-bogey on the seventh to fall to plus-three for her round. Three back-nine birdies helped her get back to even-par for her round. The 72 was just her fifth round of the year at par or worse.
There was a lengthy fog delay in the morning that forced officials to change from twosomes to threesomes off split tees, but once the fog cleared temperatures soared to over 100 degrees. More of the same is forecast for Sunday.
Through most of the round, five different players owned at least a piece of the lead, but Lee was not one of them.
Lee birdied the first and fourth at Bulle Rock, but gave those strokes back with a double-bogey on the par-four fifth. She ran off three birdies in a four-hole span from the sixth to jump to minus-eight.
The 22-yaer-old Korean parred the first five holes of the back nine. Lee ran home an eagle putt on the par-five 15th and followed with a 10-foot birdie putt at 16 that gained her a share of the lead at 11-under.
Lee was not done either. She parred No. 17 for the third day in a row, then closed with a birdie at the last to grab the outright lead for the first time all week.
"I drove the ball and putted well today," Lee said. "Actually I wasn't looking at the leaderboard in the first place. But when I saw my name up there, I got more confident and it was easier for me to concentrate."
Hjorth flew up the leaderboard with five birdies in a six-hole stretch from the fourth. She drained a six-foot birdie putt on the par-three 12th to grab a share of the lead at 10-under. Hjorth got up and down for birdie on the 15th, but parred the last three to end one back.
"Obviously my day was really, really good. Shooting seven-under on a Saturday in a major is of course what you strive to do," said Hjorth. "I was very, very happy with the round today. I was hitting the ball really well off the tee and my irons have just been very, very solid. I've hit them close all day. I actually left a few birdies out there, but I'm very happy with the 65."
Sorenstam was hot early. She connected on birdie efforts at two and three. The three-time winner of this event drained a six-foot birdie putt at the sixth to briefly tie for the lead.
From there, Sorenstam parred eight straight holes. Her final birdie came at the 15th, where she drained a 12-footer. She parred the last three, but will be in the final group as they will play in threesomes on Sunday
"Overall I'm very, very pleased the way I played today," admitted Sorenstam. "I just hit it beautifully. I left a few out there, but you do what you can. I really did what I could today. Obviously I'm in good shape for tomorrow. And tomorrow is really what matters."
Ochoa bogeyed the first to fall into a share of the lead at minus-nine. She dropped three off the pace with a double-bogey at the par-three seventh.
The Mexican began to fight back with a birdie on the par-three eighth. She moved back to minus-nine with a birdie at 10, but dropped another stroke at the 11th. Ochoa climbed back to minus-10 with birdies at 12 and 17.
"It was a pretty good round considering I was three-over after seven holes," Ochoa allowed. "It's just one of those rounds you don't want to remember anymore. Hopefully I can get some rest and be ready for tomorrow."
Yani Tseng matched Lee and Hjorth for the low round of the day with her 65. That jumped Tseng into a tie for fifth at eight-under-par 208. She was joined there by Lindsey Wright (73), Laura Diaz (69) and Brittany Lang (71).
Marisa Baena (71), Irene Cho (69) and Ji-Young Oh (72) share ninth place at minus-seven.
Pettersen, the defending champion, stumbled down the stretch. She posted a two-over 74 to fall into a share for 35th at three-under-par 213.
Source: [The Sports Network]
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