Rough finish, but Creamer still leads by 2; Ochoa 8 back
Paula Creamer made bogey on two of the last three holes for the second straight day in identical fashion -- a 3-putt on the 16th, a bogey from the bunker on the 18th -- but still wound up with a 2-under 69 for a 2-shot lead over Juli Inkster at the SemGroup Championship.
"When I was on the 15th green, my goal was to have a 5-shot lead," Creamer said. "And I ended up having 2 shots. But I'm not going to complain. I'm sitting in a good position with the field that's out here and a course that plays hard."
Creamer was at 3-under 210 and will play in the final pairing with Inkster, whose 20-foot par putt on the 18th hole gave her a 4-under 67, the best this week at Cedar Ridge.
Lorena Ochoa, trying to join Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam in the LPGA Tour record books with her fifth straight victory, needs a score in the mid-60s and a collapse by Creamer, neither of which looks like a possibility.
The 26-year-old from Mexico was done in by consecutive bogeys on the back nine that stalled her momentum. She wound up with an even-par 71 and was 8 shots behind.
"I still think I can win," Ochoa said. "I think Annika won before coming from 10 shots behind. It could happen."
Wachovia Championship: Quail Hollow Club's tree-lined, old-style setup has produced an impressive list of winners, ranging from Vijay Singh to Jim Furyk to last year's champion, Tiger Woods.
With Woods unable to defend his Wachovia Championship title following knee surgery, Anthony Kim moved a step away from joining that elite group -- a month shy of his 23rd birthday.
The steady, focused, and less flamboyant Kim shot a 6-under 66 on to take a 4-shot lead over Jason Bohn and Heath Slocum after the third round.
FedEx Kinko's Classic: Nick Price moved a step closer to his first Champions Tour victory, shooting a 5-under 67 to take a 2-stroke lead into the final round of the FedEx Kinko's Classic.
Price had a tournament-record 12-under 132 total on The Hills Country Club course.
"This game is all about momentum," Price said. "You've got to get on a roll and I'm close, really close."
Scott Simpson and Loren Roberts are tied for second after matching 66s.
Spanish Open: Ignacio Garrido of Spain shot an even-par 72 to take a 3-stroke lead into the final round of the Spanish Open.
Garrido 3-putted for a bogey at the par-4 18th hole but still led countryman Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) with a 15-under total of 201. Garrido shot a course-record 63 on Friday.