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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 11:20 a.m., Saturday, May 24, 2008

Golf: Jang ties Blasberg for lead at LPGA Corning Classic

By JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer

CORNING, N.Y. — Jeong Jang shot a 3-under 69 in the wind today to tie Erica Blasberg for the lead after three rounds at the LPGA Corning Classic.

Jang sank a 3-foot birdie putt on her final hole to tie Blasberg (70) at 7-under 209. They were one shot ahead of Leta Lindley (70) and Katherine Hull (72).

Song-Hee Kim (70) was another stroke behind in fifth, and Mi Hyun Kim (68) was in a tie for sixth with Sung Ah Yim (70), Seo-Jae Lee (71), Sun Young Yoo, and Meredith Duncan (71). Dina Ammaccapane began the day with a one-shot lead but shot a 76 and was five shots behind.

Janice Moodie (77), seeking her third career victory and first since 2002, was just one shot behind at the start. But any chance she had disappeared after five bogeys and a double bogey dropped her to par with three holes to play.

Young Kim shot 20 under to win last year, but the difficult weather has played havoc all week and Sunday's winner will fall far short of that. Temperatures were in the mid-60s again under partly sunny skies, but the wind was gusting to more than 20 mph.

Blasberg faltered with bogey at the first hole, a 402-yarder with a slight dogleg right and the most difficult hole at Corning Country Club. She rebounded, though, with eagle at the par-5 second hole and followed with three more birdies to make the turn with the lead at 9 under.

Blasberg's surge ended when she pulled a 2-foot par putt left of the hole and made bogey at the par-3 11th hole. Then she missed a 10-foot putt for par at 13 to drop into a tie with Jang and Lindley at 7 under. Blasberg's putter failed her again at the par-5 14th when she missed just left on a short birdie try and she parred out to retain a share of the lead.

Jang, who had two bogeys and four birdies on the front nine, reached 7 under with birdie at No. 10 and made a nice par save at 14 after her third shot landed on the back edge of the massive, undulating green. Jang's string of five straight pars ended when her second shot at 16 was short and she two-putted for bogey.

Jang almost got that shot back at 17, but her birdie putt rolled around the rim and somehow didn't fall.

Hull moved into contention for her first career win with a pair of 20-foot birdie putts on her final two holes.

"I didn't really capitalize," said Hull, who was 8 under on the par-5s through three rounds. "It was nice to finish that way."

Ammaccapane, in her 330th career start and still searching for her first career tour victory, got off to a rocky start. She made bogey at No. 3 and double bogey on the fourth hole and was four shots behind halfway through the round. After a bogey at 11, she made four straight pars before a double bogey at 16 dearly hurt her chances.

Sandra Gal (76) found out quickly just how tricky the course again was playing in the wind. After making three birdies on her first five holes to reach 7 under, Gal had a three-putt triple bogey at No. 6, a bogey at No. 7, and another triple bogey at the 10th hole to fall to even par.

Paula Creamer (71), third on the year's money list with two victories, seemed poised to make a run after a birdie at No. 12 dropped her to 3 under. But her second shot at the par-4 13th landed in the rough to the left of the undulating green. She then arced a chip a good 15 feet past the pin and three-putted for double bogey.

"I only hit nine greens today, and when you do that it's very hard to make a big move for birdies," she said. "It's not what I expected of myself. The golf course is playing hard, but it's mainly me."

Sherri Turner, the 1988 Corning winner, is most likely playing this event for the final time as she contemplates retirement. She shot 73 and was 1 over after three rounds.