Tseng leads Canadian Women´s Open, where Wie´s hopes are fading

8/17/2008

Yani Tseng finished off a course-record 8-under 64 in the rain-delayed second round, then shot a 68 in the third to take a four-stroke lead Saturday in the CN Canadian Women's Open.

Tseng, the 19-year-old Taiwanese star who won the McDonald's LPGA Championship in early June and finished second two weeks ago in the Ricoh Women's British Open, had a 14-under 202 total on the tree-lined Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club course.

South Korea's Se Ri Pak (68) was second, and defending champion Lorena Ochoa (74) and Hull (72) were 8 under. Paula Creamer (70) and Song-Hee Kim (71) were 5 under.

Pak had her first LPGA Tour hole-in-one, acing the 178-yard fifth with a 6-iron.

Michelle Wie, using the last of her six LPGA Tour exemptions this year, was tied for 14th at 2 under after a 69. She opened with rounds of 75 and 70.

Annika Sorenstam (76) and Suzann Pettersen (70) also were in the group at 2 under.

Tseng returned to the course early Saturday to finish the final eight holes of the second round. She birdied the final four holes to break the course record of 65 set by Martha Nause in the 1994 du Maurier Classic and matched Friday by Katherine Hull.

Tseng had seven birdies and three bogeys in the third round.

Leaderboard – Round 3:

1. Yani Tseng                   70 64 68 202 -14
2. Se Ri Pak                     68 70 68 206 -12
3. Lorena Ochoa               66 68 74 208 -10
    Katherine Hull               71 65 72 208 -10
5. Paula Creamer              71 70 70 211 - 5
    Song-Hee Kim               69 71 71 211 - 5
7. Jee Young Lee              71 72 69 212 - 4
    Sun Young Yoo             71 72 69 212 - 4
    Meena Lee                   68 74 70 212 - 4
    Laura Diaz                    70 70 72 212 - 4
    Hee-Won Han               68 72 72 212 - 4

Source: AP, LPGA Tour