REUNION, Fla. – Everyone is chasing Lorena Ochoa – again.
Ochoa shot a 7-under 65 in the third round of the Ginn Open on Saturday to reach 16 under and take a one-shot lead over rookie Yani Tseng.
The Mexican star is 18 holes away from her fourth victory in four weeks.
She started the round three shots behind Tseng and was four back after a bogey on No. 2. But the world’s No. 1 player made three consecutive birdies beginning with the par-5 ninth and took the lead for good with a near-perfect approach shot on No. 11.
She gave Tseng and a few others a chance to keep it close by just missing birdie putts on the next three holes. The 26-year-old Ochoa then closed out her round with birdies on 15 and 18, pumping her right fist after each one hit the bottom of the cup.
Tseng birdied two of her final three holes for a 69. Teresa Lu (69) was 11 under, one stroke ahead of Carin Koch (70) and Suzann Pettersen (72).
Those three and everyone else are in an all-too-familiar position heading into the final round – trying to make up ground on Ochoa, who has won four of the five events she has entered this year.
Ochoa’s four victories have come by a combined 34 shots. She opened with an 11-stroke victory in Singapore, defended her Safeway International title with a seven-stroke romp, won the season’s first major by five shots and then went wire-to-wire last week in Mexico and won by 11.
Verizon Heritage
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Defending champion Boo Weekley continued his remarkable run at Harbour Town Golf Links, using a stretch of five straight birdies to move in front at the Verizon Heritage.
Weekley shot a 6-under 65 to reach 15 under and move three strokes ahead of Anthony Kim (67) and five in front of Aaron Baddeley (67), Jason Bohn (67) and Cliff Kresge (68). Second-round leader Lucas Glover shot a 73 to drop seven shots back.
Weekley chipped in on the 71st and 72nd holes a year ago to beat Ernie Els for his first PGA Tour victory. The good-natured, self-proclaimed country boy from the Florida Panhandle hasn’t slowed down in his return.
Champions Tour
LUTZ, Fla. – Knee surgery hasn’t slowed Mark Wiebe a bit.
Coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic, Wiebe followed his opening 66 with a 65 to take a three-stroke lead in the Champions Tour’s Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.
Wiebe reached 11 under to tie the event 36-hole record held by Bruce Fleisher (2000 and 2002). Defending champion Tom Watson (71) and Scott Hoch (67) were 8 under, and Tom Jenkins (66) and Mike Reid (68) followed at 6 under.
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