Lorena Ochoa takes three-shot lead at Navistar LPGA Classic women’s golf tourney

October 3, 4:28 PMBoston Golf ExaminerEmily Kay

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Lorene Ochoa leads Navistar LPGA Classic heading into Sunday's final
round (Photo: AP/Jamie Martin)

With six birdies and no mishaps, top-ranked Lorena Ochoa captured sole possession of first place by three shots at 16-under after three rounds of the Navistar LPGA Classic women’s golf tourney in Prattville, AL.

• View photos from the third round of the Navistar LPGA Classic

A solid Saturday moved Ochoa ahead of hard-charging Sandra Gal, who fired six birdies and an eagle on her way to a 6-under 66. Ochoa moves into the final round on Sunday poised to end her recent LPGA Tour winless drought.

The world’s number one tied Brittany Lang at 14-under after the latter’s red-hot game cooled off on the 10th hole. Lang scored six birdies through nine, including three straight on the seventh, eighth, and ninth, to post an outgoing 30.

Lang was unable to capitalize on her momentum, however, posting eight pars and a bogey on the back nine. Lang and Gal have yet to earn a victory on tour.

Pulling ahead. Ochoa began the day tied for the lead at 10-under with four others, including teen hotshot Alexis Thompson and 45-year-old Laura Davies. The world’s number one ran off three consecutive birdies to close out her first nine and added three more on the second half of her third round. Davies’ even-par 72 moved the 20-time LPGA winner into a tie for eighth place  at 10-under.

Second-round stars Thompson and Yani Tseng were unable to replicate the magic they had in their second rounds. After firing a tourney-record, 9-under 63 on Friday, Tseng’s third-round, 1-under through was good enough for a share of fifth place at 11-under.

Short-lived lead. Picking up where she left off in the second round, Thompson birdied her first hole Saturday to take a brief, one-shot advantage. She ran into trouble on the third, however, posting only her third bogey of the week, but a double on the par-4 sixth dropped Thompson to 2-over for the day. The 14-year-old phenom ended her third round in a tie for 13th with Michelle Wie, Cristie Kerr, and two others, at 8-under for the week.

Hall of Fame credentials? Davies, whose last career win came in 2001, is experiencing something of a revival this week. The 21-year tour veteran holed an eagle in each of her first two rounds and needs only two more LPGA victories to qualify for the World Golf Hall of Fame.

While she’s unlikely to earn one of those remaining two wins this week, Davies enjoys the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Senator course at Capitol Hill. The fun for Davies happens on the Senator’s huge, rambling greens.

“They’re fun, because...if you hit the right part of the green it all comes in,” Davies told reporters after finishing her second round on Friday. “If you hit the wrong part of the green, you can leave yourself with a ridiculous putt. That, I think, is a really nice feature of it.”

Look familiar? The Alabama track’s massive, undulating greens may remind Boston golfers of the vast, rolling putting surfaces of The International Golf Club’s Pines course in Bolton, MA.

In addition to boasting the world’s longest golf course (that is, until the 848-mile Nullarbor Links opens later this month in Australia), the Pines challenges golfers with its large, tricky greens. Good luck two-putting on the elephantine, 89-yard-deep green that covers more than half an acre on the par-5 (par-6 from the way-back, Tiger tees) fifth hole.

Going low. Kerr jumped out Saturday morning to an early 8-under 64, which put her in a tie for 13th place heading into Sunday. Ji Young Oh’s early 7-under 65 moved the third-year South Korean pro into a share of fifth place at 11-under for the week’s event.

Pre-tourney prep. Each golfer has her own way to prepare for a tournament. For Tseng, Sudoku puzzles seem to work.

“My plan is just have fun,” the Taiwanese golfer told reporters after her record round on Friday. “I play a little Sudoku this morning. Maybe I do the same thing tomorrow.”

The golfers seem to enjoy the RTJ course, which is good since Navistar has re-upped for next year. Read about the LPGA signing two and losing one sponsor for 2010.