Park grabs two-stroke lead


June 24, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

WATERLOO, Ontario

South Korea’s Inbee Park shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the inaugural Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.

The 2008 U.S. Women’s Open champion had a 14-under 199 total at Grey Silo. She rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 17th with a birdie on the par-5 18th.

“I hit the ball very good today,” Park said. “I hit a lot of good iron shots, and I think I played the par 5s really good today. That helped me a lot.

“There was some more putts out there that I could have made, but I was really happy with the way I hit the ball today. Hopefully, tomorrow it will be a better putting day.”

Brittany Lang and Hee Kyung Seo shot a 67 to reach 12 under.

Lang parred the first 15 holes, then birdied Nos. 16 and 17 and made a 5-foot eagle putt in 18. The former Duke star is winless on the LPGA Tour.

“I hit some good putts and some good shots and I just couldn’t get anything going,” Lang said. “But I stayed patient and positive and finally made the birdie on 16 and got some energy and hit a great shot into 17.

“That was a great and even that, it’s tricky to read the greens out here. You can hit good putts and not make them, but I stayed positive and just hit two awesome shots on 18. I’m very happy with that finish.”

Anna Nordqvist was 10 under after a 67.

“I thought it was solid. I played really well yesterday afternoon, couldn’t make a putt, shot 1 over, so I was a little bit disappointed after yesterday,” Nordqvist said. “So, I think it kind of got me a little, you know, a little momentum coming into today. It was solid. I hit a lot of greens, took advantage of the par 5s and I think that’s the keys on this course.”

China’s Shanshan Feng, coming off a major victory two weeks ago in the LPGA Championship, was 9 under along with Karin Sjodin, Nicole Hage and first-round leader Sandra Changkija. Feng had a 70, Sjodin shot 69, Hage 67 and Changkija 69. Stacy Lewis, a two-time winner this year, had a 69 to top the group at 8 under.