Johnson Wagner leader in Houston

The 28-year-old is winless in 43 career starts.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HUMBLE, Texas — Johnson Wagner says he’s struggled too much on the PGA Tour to apologize when things finally go his way.

Wagner got lucky bounces on two tee shots and shot a 3-under 69 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead over Chad Campbell after the third round of the Houston Open. The 28-year-old Wagner, winless in 43 career starts, had a 15-under 201 total.

Campbell, playing one group ahead of Wagner, birdied five of his first nine holes for a 65. Charley Hoffman and Bob Estes were three behind at 12 under. Estes shot a 64, the best round of the day. Hoffman had a 69. Geoff Ogilvy shot a 66 to reach 10 under, and Mathew Goggin was another shot back after a 72.

Wagner started the day three shots ahead of Hoffman and Goggin. Campbell was five back, but made up that deficit in eight holes.

Wagner saw it all, including Campbell’s 62-foot putt down a slope on the sixth. Campbell also holed a wedge from 88 yards for an eagle on the par-5 eighth.

“I definitely didn’t like starting with a three-shot lead and seeing it erased immediately,” Wagner said.

Wagner, in his second year on tour, admitted Friday that he would have to battle his nerves to win for the first time and earn an invitation to next week’s Masters. He played better after Campbell tied him, sinking a 16-foot birdie putt on the par-3 ninth to get going.

On the back nine, Wagner got away with two bad tee shots, hitting a spectator on the 13th and a tree on the 15th, but escaping with two pars.

“I’ve had enough bad breaks not to feel bad about the good ones,” he said.

Campbell was tied with Wagner for the lead until hitting his tee shot into the rough on No. 17 and taking a bogey.

The 33-year-old Campbell was the runner-up to Shaun Micheel at the 2003 PGA Championship, then won the Tour Championship later that year at The Champions in Houston. He won at Bay Hill in 2004, but has only two victories since, admitting that the run of success made him complacent.

He has four top-20 finishes this year and felt good about his game coming to Houston, even after missing the cut in New Orleans last week.

“Golf is a weird game,” he said. “Lot of times, you don’t get results as quick as you want them. You tend to be a little impatient.”

LPGA

The only consolation for Lorena Ochoa was a one-shot lead in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Just when it looked as though Ochoa would seize control of the first major of the year, she three-putted for bogey on two of the final four holes and settled for a 1-under 71 on Saturday, with only one shot separating her from Hee-Won Han.

The Mexican star must know by now that this major won’t come easily.

Despite opening the back nine with three straight birdies to build a two-shot lead and loads of momentum, Ochoa gave it away with an aggressive three-putt on the 15th, and by chopping her way up the 18th in the rough and the sand.

Han had a 70 and will play in the final group of a major for the first time.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr was all but forgotten until finishing a 66 before the leaders made the turn, leaving her in the group only two shots behind.

Annika Sorenstam suffered stomach cramps so severe that she nearly walked off the course after 10 holes, but tried to gut it out and is glad she did. Sorenstam had four birdies on the back nine for a 73, and was only four shots behind.

Going into the final round, where the pressure and desert heat is rising, 14 players were separated by five shots. Seven of those players are major champions.