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South Korean rookie Min leads LPGA event
2007-06-10
Teenager Na On Min is the third-round leader in the McDonald's LPGA Championship after she shot a dynamic seven-under-par 65 at Bulle Rock Golf Course. The 18-year-old South Korean rookie does not even hold a full card for the LPGA Tour but she packed eight birdies into her round - the lowest of the tournament - and finished at 10-under 206, one ahead of Norway's Suzann Pettersen, the second-round leader who had a 71. Brazil's Angela Park (68) and Australia's Karrie Webb (71) were tied for third at eight-under in the second women's major of the year. Morgan Pressel, the 19-year-old American who won the first major of the year at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in March, is at seven-under after a 70, while world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa was not out of it, sitting five strokes behind after holing a monster birdie putt at the 18th for a 69. This is only Min's sixth tournament on the LPGA this season, although she showed her potential with a top-five finish on her debut at the Corona Championship in Mexico in April. "It was great. I hit 16 greens today and I'm very proud of myself," Min said. "This is the best day of my life. "I don't know how well I'll sleep tonight. I was very nervous on the last two holes and I'll probably be even more nervous tomorrow. But I'll just try to ignore the situation and hit a lot of good shots." Pettersen, the overnight leader, was three shots clear of the field after she birdied the second and fourth, and then recovered from a couple of bogeys with an eagle at the par-five 11th. But she again dropped back with a double-bogey at the 13th, where she had to take a penalty drop out of deep rough. The Norwegian rallied once more with a 20-foot putt for birdie at the short 17th to maintain hopes of a second win this season to set alongside the Michelob Ultra Open. Annika Sorenstam, competing in her second tournament since coming back from a back injury, shot a one-over 73 and was in a group of five players at 212, six shots off the lead. The Swedish superstar is looking for her fourth LPGA Championship title, which would tie her with Mickey Wright (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963) for the most wins at this event in LPGA Tour history. Sorenstam (2003, 2004, 2005) is the first LPGA player to win the same major in three consecutive years. Michelle Wie survived the cut on the final mark but the 17-year-old's troubled comeback from a five-month absence with a wrist injury continued with an awful third-round 83. At 14-over and in last place of the 84 left in the field, there was a chance she could pull out of the final round. "I'll see how my wrist is overnight and make my decision tomorrow," Wie said. England's Laura Davies, with a 71, and Scotland's Catriona Matthew and Mhairi McKay, who both shot 74, were all tied on 2-under and in joint 19th place. Lorie Kane, the only Canadian to make the cut, had a 76 and was well down the field on seven over par
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