Associated Press
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Lexi Thompson moved into position for her second victory in her last four starts, taking the third-round lead Saturday in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
The 18-year-old Thompson shot a 5-under 67 to reach 13-under 203 at Guadalajara Country Club. She had a one-stroke lead over South Korea’s I.K. Kim.
Thompson won the 2011 LPGA Navistar Classic at 16, and took the LPGA Malaysia last month for her second tour title. After opening with a 72, she had a 64 — the best round of the week in the 36-player event— Friday to pull within a stroke of second-round leaders Anna Nordqvist, So Yeon Ryu and Pornanong Phatlum.
Kim birdied the final two holes for a 67.
Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was third at 11 under after a 67.
Ryu was another stroke back after a 71. Nordqvist and Phatlum each shot 72 to remain 9 under.
Top-ranked Inbee Park, No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and Lizette Salas were 8 under. Pettersen had a 70, Salas shot 71, and Park 72. Michelle Wie, the 2009 winner, was 7 under after a 67.
Tournament host Lorena Ochoa won 27 LPGA Tour titles before retiring in 2010.
OHL CLASSIC
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Harris English and Robert Karlsson shared the lead in the rain-delayed OHL Classic when third-round play was suspended because of darkness.
English and Karlsson were 15 under overall with 11 holes left in the round.
English matched the lowest round of his PGA Tour career Saturday morning with a 9-under 62 on Mayakoba Resort’s El Camaleon course. The 24-year-old former Georgia star won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June for his first PGA Tour title.
Karlsson played 36 holes Friday, shooting 63-67. The 44-year-old Swede, an 11-time winner on the European Tour, tied for 10th last weekend in the McGladrey Classic to earn a spot in the field this week.
Rory Sabbatini and Kevin Stadler were tied for second at 12 under. Sabbatini completed eight holes in the third round, and Stadler played six. None of the 78 players who made the cut were able to finish the round.
More than 4½ inches of rain hit the course from Wednesday afternoon to Friday afternoon. Because of the wet conditions, players are using preferred lies.
AUSTRALIAN
MASTERS
MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Adam Scott shot a 5-under 66 at Royal Melbourne to open a four-stroke lead at 14-under 199 in the Australian Masters.
The second-ranked Scott won the Australian PGA on Sunday at Royal Pines in his first home event since winning the Masters at Augusta National. He will team with Jason Day for Australia next week in the World Cup, also at Royal Melbourne, then play the Australian Open the following week at Royal Sydney.
Fifty-year-old Vijay Singh had a 63 to join Australians Matthew Griffin (69), Nick Cullen (69) and Nathan Holman (70) at 10 under. American Matt Kuchar was sixth at 9 under after a 67.
Jarrod Lyle, playing his first tournament after a second bout with leukemia, was even par after a 70.
WORLD TOUR
CHAMPIONSHIP
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Henrik Stenson closed in on the European Tour money title Saturday, birdieing four of the last five holes to take a one-shot lead in the season-ending World Tour Championship.
Trying to become the first player to win the FedEx Cup and European title in the same year, the Swede finished with a 5-under 67 to reach 17-under 199 on Jumeriah’s Earth Course.
Stenson also leads the Race to Dubai standings. The points champion will receive $1 million from a $3.75 million bonus pool that counts on the final money list. In September, Stenson won the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship to take the FedEx Cup title and $10 million bonus.
France’s Victor Dubuisson, coming off a victory last week in Turkey, was second after a 64.
