Ochoa takes over lead at Safeway Int’l

Published 11:22 pm Saturday, March 29, 2008

SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN, Ariz. — Lorena Ochoa moved into position for her second straight Safeway International victory and second win in three starts this year, shooting a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take the third-round lead.

After outdueling close friend Angela Stanford on Saturday, Ochoa will be paired with Jee Young Lee on Sunday at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club.

“It’ll be a fun day,” said Ochoa, a stroke ahead of Stanford and Lee.

“She (Lee) hits the ball very far. She jokes to me she beats me with the driver. (Sunday) will be a good laugh to see who hits farther.”

Stanford followed bogeys on 13 and 14 with two finishing birdies for a 70. Lee fired her third consecutive 67.

At 16-under 200, Ochoa matched the best 54-hole total since the tournament moved to Superstition Mountain five years ago. Annika Sorenstam also was 16 under in 2004 on her way to a course record 18-under 270 total, matched last year by Ochoa.

Ochoa, the HSBC Champions winner this year in Singapore, is seeking her 16th victory in her past 48 starts since 2006 and 19th overall LPGA Tour win.

The six players within six shots of her have a combined four LPGA Tour victories. The closest rival with similar experience was Sorenstam, seven strokes back after a 71.

But Ochoa dismissed talk that the tournament was over.

“It’s going to be a tough day (Sunday),” she said.

Nobody, however, owns Sundays like Ochoa these days. “It’s all about experience,” she said. “It’s the way you feel on Sunday. You like to be under pressure.”

Ochoa birdied four of the first five holes to steal the lead from Stanford, who shot a Prospector Course-record 62 Thursday to open a three-shot lead over Ochoa.

Stanford, a winner once in seven years on the tour, said she felt comfortable paired with Ochoa, who she regularly competes with in basketball and bowling.

“But you can get caught up with what somebody else is doing,” Stanford said. “Especially when she’s getting a boatload of birdies.”

Rain halts play at Zurich Classic Woody Austin, Nicholas Thompson, Peter Lonard and Briny Baird topped the Zurich Classic leaderboard at 8 under Saturday when rain, lightning and thunder forced the suspension of third-round play.

Play was stopped at 1:48 p.m., then called off for the day at 5:35 p.m. The 46 players unable to finish will try to complete the round Sunday morning.

“We think we can get it all in, but everyone will have to keep moving,” PGA Tour media official Joan Alexander said.

Austin had seven holes to play, Thompson eight, Lonard 14 and Baird 15.

John Senden was the leader in the clubhouse at 7 under after a 66.

“I think the golf course has gotten progressively easier as the week has gone on because when we practiced on Tuesday it was really dry and bouncy,” Senden said.

Andres Romero, Tim Petrovic, Steve Elkington and John Merrick also were 7 under.

“We’re going to keep the same tee times (today),” said Tim Petrovic, who was 5 under for the round with three holes to play. “There are some guys who are going to get a little bit of an advantage from it, but hopefully it won’t be a situation where there’s too much advantage.”

Langer takes lead at Ginn: Bernhard Langer birdied his first two holes at the Ocean Hammock Golf Club, then avoided the mistakes that plagued his closest rivals Saturday in the Champions Tour’s Ginn Championship.

The two-time Masters champion was one of only two players without a bogey Saturday on the windy Oceanside course. He shot a 6-under 66 to reach 11-under 133 and move two strokes ahead of career club pro Lonnie Nielsen (69).

Fred Funk (69), tied with Langer with three holes to play, made a bogey at No. 16 and a double bogey at No. 17 to fall into third at 8 under.

Two peers of Langer’s in the Hall of Fame, Nick Price (67) and Ben Crenshaw (68), were 5 under along with Joe Ozaki (65) and Mark McNulty (69).