Sat May 10 16:49:50 2008

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Sorenstam protects lead, while Ochoa falls eight back

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Williamsburg, VA (Sports Network) - Annika Sorenstam was too steady, making three birdies without a bogey until her final drive got wet. Lorena Ochoa was too uneven, mixing five bogeys with just two birdies.

And so the anticipated showdown between the top two players in women's golf never materialized Saturday during the third round of the Michelob Ultra Open.

Sorenstam shot a two-under 69 to keep the lead, an errant tee shot into the water at the 18th leading to her only bogey in 54 holes. She moved to 14- under 199 overall for a three-shot advantage heading into the final round.

There was even better news for the second-ranked Swede: She no longer has much to worry about from the player who replaced her atop the world rankings last year.

Ochoa, the No. 1 player for the past 13 months, was done in Saturday by four bogeys in a five-hole stretch around the turn. She finished with a three-over 74, falling eight shots off Sorenstam's lead at six-under 207.

Jeong Jang had a two-under 69 and moved into second place alone at 11-under 202, with Christina Kim (66) another shot further back at 10-under 203.

There were five other players between Ochoa and Sorenstam on the leaderboard at the end of a cool, gray round at Kingsmill. But, despite its fizzling out, the expected duel between the two players wasn't without merit.

The duo have combined for 43 wins on the LPGA Tour since the 2004 Michelob Ultra Open, with Ochoa edging Sorenstam 22-21 during that time.

Ochoa has especially gotten the best of Sorenstam over the last two seasons, winning 19 times in 25 months, while erasing the Swede's once-dominant position at the top of the women's game.

The Mexican star won each of the four previous tournaments where they both appeared this season, with Sorenstam's two victories coming during off-weeks for Ochoa.

So even though Sorenstam began the third round with a three-shot lead, the stage was set for what was supposed to be a two-way battle between the game's biggest stars.

But the round was less a tug-of-war than one-sided lurch with Ochoa on the losing end.

Ochoa began her round with a long birdie putt on the first hole to pull within two shots of Sorenstam, and she was still two back when both players birdied the seventh.

But the wheels fell off the wagon after that, with Ochoa making four bogeys between Nos. 8 and 12.

The lowlights included an ugly chip out of the rough at the 10th hole that left Ochoa on the edge of the green, 20 feet remaining on a par putt she wouldn't make. She hit into a deep fairway bunker on the way to bogey at the 11th, then three-putted for her third consecutive bogey at the 12th. Another bogey followed at the 17th.

Meanwhile, Sorenstam was steady, collecting her one birdie on the front nine at No. 8 and then rolling in long birdie putts at the 13th and 14th holes to stretch her lead to four shots.

Only a badly off-line tee shot at the 18th kept her from carrying that advantage into the final round. Her drive started left and hooked further until it splashed down in a pond.

Sorenstam re-teed, sent her second drive to the right side of the fairway and then knocked her approach to 12 feet -- eventually making the clutch bogey putt to stay three up on Jang.

It was her only bogey of the tournament so far, a hiccup that still didn't keep her from breaking Karrie Webb's 2006 tournament scoring record for 54 holes by one shot.

Sorenstam heads to the final round with a 7-2 record in her last nine opportunities with the 54-hole lead.

MORE TO FOLLOW.