Stupples has LPGA Nabisco lead; Kim, Molder tied in PGA

Associated Press

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.

Karen Stupples shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, with six other majors winners within seven shots.

Stupples, the 36-year-old English star who won the 2004 Women’s British Open, had a 10-under 206 total at Mission Hills in the season’s first major.

Yani Tseng and Suzann Pettersen, who seemingly played herself out of contention with a 73 on Friday, shot 67s to reach 9 under.

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa rebounded from a slow start with birdies on three of her last seven holes for a 71 to join second-round leader Song Hee-Kim (72) at 7 under.

Karrie Webb (72) was 5 under, Brittany Lang (69) and Cristie Kerr (71) were 4 under, and Grace Park (68), Jiyai Shin (69) and Michelle Wie (71) were in a six-player group another stroke back.

PGA

HUMBLE, Texas

Anthony Kim shot a 3-under 69 for a share of the lead with Bryce Molder in the Houston Open, the final event before the Masters.

Kim struggled off the tee, but relied on good putting to join Molder (71) at 10 under.

“I don’t know what happened today,” Kim said. “Just spraying the ball off the tee, just hitting the worst shots I’ve hit probably this year.”

Molder, the second-round leader, made four bogeys and five birdies.

“It was a tough day,” Molder said. “I just couldn’t quite find the club in my swing, and it was just a little off.”

Vaughn Taylor (70) and Joe Ogilvie (71) were 8 under after both bogeyed the difficult 18th hole. Houston resident Jeff Maggert (70), Graham DeLaet (71) and Lee Westwood (72) were three strokes behind the leaders.

The players faced only light breezes after wind gusted up to 30 mph during the first two days. Justin Leonard (67) moved into contention in the morning with two eagles on his front nine. He made a double bogey on the 14th hole, though, and finished at 6 under.