BROKEN ARROW, Okla. - Defending champion Annika Sorenstam shot 3-under-par 68 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Michelle Ellis and Maria Hjorth after three rounds of the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic.
Sorenstam made back-to-back birdies at Nos. 14-15 to break a three-way tie for the lead at Cedar Ridge Country Club.
Sorenstam is seeking to win the event for the third time. She also won the tournament at Tulsa Country Club in 2002.
Tied with Hjorth and France's Karine Icher, Sorenstam hit the pin with her chip for eagle at the 14th and tapped in for birdie. Sorenstam then hit a 5-iron to 21 feet at the par-3 15th and made the putt to take the lead.
Ellis had 69 and Hjorth shot 72. Icher is alone in fourth place at 5-under after 70, and Solheim Cup singles foes Paula Creamer (71) and Laura Davies (70) are tied with Leta Lindley (70) at 2-under.
WORLD MATCH PLAY: In Virginia Water, England, U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell routed top-seeded Retief Goosen 7 and 6 to advance to the final of the European Tour event.
Campbell will play for the title Sunday against 11th-seeded Paul McGinley of Ireland, who defeated second-seeded Angel Cabrera of Argentina, 4 and 3.
Goosen did not have a birdie in the first 11 holes as his bid for the first prize of $1.8 million - the biggest in golf - vanished. After two matches, he had been a combined 17-under after playing 54 holes. Campbell was 2-under after 73.
"I played terrible," Goosen said. "I just didn't make a putt and was wayward off the tee and missed a lot of fairways. Michael got on a roll at the start, but if I had played a bit of a game out there it would have been nice."
CONSTELLATION ENERGY CLASSIC: In Hunt Valley, Md., Bob Gilder shot 5-under-par 67 to maintain a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Champions Tour event.
Gilder birdied the par-4 18th to reach a tournament-record 13-under 131 after 36 holes at Hayfields Country Club.
D.A. Weibring and Morris Hatalsky are tied for second at 11-under.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange (66) and Senior British Open champ Tom Watson (68) are three strokes back.
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