Nov 16, 2008 - 9:15 AM
0 shoutsGUADALAJARA, Mexico (Ticker) - Angela Stanford holds a one-shot lead entering Sunday's finalr round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
Stanford is at 10-under-par 206 through 54 holes. She shot an even 72 in Saturday's third round.
Annika Sorenstam, headed for retirement next year, is one stroke off the lead. It's another shot back to Katherine Hull.
Stanford has been on fire lately, winning the Bell Micro LPGA Classic in September and finishing in the top-4 in each of her three events since then. She was part of an eight-way tie for the lead after Thursday's first round, but took control during the second round with four birdies on the front nine Friday.
She had a much tougher time on the front nine on Saturday. She bogeyed Nos. 2 and 5 before her first birdie of the day at the sixth. Stanford had her only other birdie of the day at No. 16, but it was enough to keep her in the lead.
Sorenstam could have had the lead but a pair of late bogeys kept her from overtaking Stanford. She rebounded from bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17 with a closing birdie to get to 9-under 207.
Sorenstam is looking for her fourth LPGA Tour victory of the season - and first since announcing she will step away from competitive golf at the end of the year. Sorenstam's last victory was the Michelob ULTRA Open in May, but since then her best finish was a third-place showing at June's LPGA Championship.
Hull fired a bogey-free 66 and had five of her six birdies on the front nine.
The tournament's namesake, Ochoa, carded a 70 on Saturday and is tied for 13th at 2-under.
Ochoa is pulling double duty this week as she is hosting the $1 million event and playing alongside 35 other players at the Guadalajara Country Club. In search of her eighth victory of the season, Ochoa has mathematically locked up the Rolex Player of the Year honors and is the star attraction in her native Guadalajara at the third and final Mexican event on the 2008 LPGA Tour schedule.
The event is serving as the final tune-up for players competing in the 2008 ADT Championship. It is the 15th LPGA Tour event hosted by an LPGA Tour player.
First prize is $200,000.
