Ochoa climbs into share of Navistar LPGA Classic lead with Friberg

9/28/2008

Winless since May, top-ranked Lorena Ochoa shot a 3-under 69 on Saturday for a share of third-round lead in the Navistar LPGA Classic.

The Mexican star, making her first start since tying for sixth in the Safeway Classic on Aug. 24, matched Louise Friberg (65) at 13-under 203.

Ochoa has four top-seven finishes in a row, but is winless in seven starts. She opened the year with six wins in nine events, including four straight.

After opening with consecutive 67s, Ochoa had five birdies and two bogeys in the third round on the links-style Senator Course, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Capitol Hill complex.

Friberg, the MasterCard Classic winner in Mexico in March in only her third start as a tour member and fourth overall, had seven birdies in her bogey-free round.

LPGA Championship winner Yani Tseng (68), Christina Kim (69), Song-Hee Kim (69), Michele Redman (70) and second-round leader Janice Moodie (67) were 11 under.

Leaderboard – Round 3:

1. Louise Friberg                     67 71 65 203 -13
    Lorena Ochoa                     67 67 69 203 -13
3. Yani Tseng                         71 66 68 205 -11
    Christina Kim                      70 66 68 205 -11
    Song-Hee Kim                    68 68 69 205 -11
    Michele Redman                 70 65 70 205 -11
    Janice Moodie                     66 67 72 205 -11
8. Candie Kung                       69 72 65 206 -10
    Sarah Jane Kenyon              70 69 67 206 -10
    Jill McGill                            65 69 72 206 -10

Source: AP, LPGA Tour