LPGA Rosie Jones overcomes shaky short game for lead

Rosie Jones was one of four Americans atop the leaderboard.
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (AP) -- Rosie Jones birdied three of the last eight holes Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Asahi Ryokuken International.
Jones, who has led at the end of each round, shot a 3-under 69 and was among a handful of golfers to shoot under 70 on a day when the heat, swirling winds and tough pin placements sent scores soaring at the Mount Vintage Plantation Golf Club.
Jones was at 13-under 203, followed by Laura Diaz at 11-under. Wendy Ward was three strokes behind the leader, and Pat Hurst was four back. Diaz shot a 69, while Ward and Hurst both had a 71.
American pride
The top four spots were held by Americans, who are hoping to end a streak of 17 straight LPGA Tour victories by foreign-born players. Meg Mallon was the last U.S. player to win on tour, at the Canadian Women's Open in August.
Lorena Ochoa (69) of Mexico was at 8-under and defending champion Janice Moodie (71) of Scotland was at 7-under.
Jones gave the other golfers room Saturday when her short game suddenly turned shaky. She two-putted nearly every hole on the front nine, but neither Ward nor Diaz could make much of a run.
Jones finally got her putter going with a birdie on No. 11, breaking a string of 10 consecutive pars. She then birdied the 12th to take a one-shot lead at 12-under.
Ward took the lead on No. 4 with a difficult sidehill birdie, and she extended her advantage to two strokes when a birdie on the par-5 sixth put her at 12-under. But she three-putted on No. 8 to fall back to 11-under.
Meanwhile, Diaz began her charge with a birdie on the par-5 ninth to go to 10-under, followed by a birdie on the 11th to tie her for the lead.
On target
Diaz nearly eagled the 16th, hitting her chip off the flagstick before tapping in for birdie. But she gave the stroke back on the 17th, when she two-putted.
Ochoa also was briefly tied for the lead when her eagle at No. 9 put her 6-under for the day and 11-under for the tournament. But Ochoa bogeyed the 10th and 11th, and after a birdie at 12, she doubled-bogeyed the 13th to fall off the pace.
Hurst had a triple-bogey on the eighth but fought back to shoot a 1-under 71 for the day.
Patricia Meunier-Lebouc had the low round Saturday -- a bogey-free 67 -- to move to 5-under, eight shots behind Jones.