ORLANDO, November 19, 2011 (AFP) - South Korean Hee Young Park fired her second three-under par 69 in a row on Saturday to match Germany's Sandra Gal for the lead after three rounds of the LPGA Titleholders tournament.
Park birdied three of the last four holes to stand on seven-under par 209 through 54 holes at Grand Cypress Resort with Gal matching her after a 71 on Saturday.
Park, seeking her first LPGA triumph in the season-ending $1.5 million showdown, cracked the top-10 only twice all season, but her third-place effort at the Safeway Classic in August was good enough to earn a spot at this event.
"I'm very thirsty," Park said of her desire for an inaugural LPGA victory. "Yeah, I'm ready."
Gal figures she has an edge over Park because she knows what it's like to win an LPGA event. She won the Kia Classic last March with a birdie on the 72nd hole for her only career LPGA title.
"It's great to be in that position, have the chance to win," Gal said. "If you've done it before, I think it gives you more confidence in the back of your mind for sure."
World No. 2 Suzann Pettersen of Norway was third on 210 after a bogey-free 68 while American Paula Creamer was another shot adrift after firing a 71.
World No. 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan matched the low round of the week with a 66 to pull within three of the lead and grab a share of fifth with South Korean Na Yeon Choi on 212. Choi, who led when the day began, stumbled back with a 75.
"I played bad on the first two days so today it was really nice," Tseng said. "I just enjoyed and tried to make more birdies."
Park opened with her only bogey of the day but answered with a birdie on the par-4 fifth and charged at the finish with birdies at the par-5 15th and par-4 16th and 18th.
"I started bogey and then the second hole was a little bit of a struggle," Park said. "Then it was a little bit difficult to play the front nine.
"But today (was) just be patient, patient, and then back nine finally I just felt my putting distance so I just trusted and hit and that was the back nine."
Gal set an early pace with birdies at the par-3 fourth and par-4 seventh, but stumbled back with a bogey at the par-3 eighth and double bogey at the par-4 ninth. Birdies at the par-5 11th and par-4 13th put her back in the hunt.
"I'm actually pretty drained. It was such a roller-coaster round," Gal said. "But it's all just good. I'm happy to be up there leading. It was tough.
"I had a good start and then just in the middle of the round I had a couple bad holes, but I'm really proud of myself how I pulled it together on the back nine. Sometimes you've just got to hang in there and fight it out. It was one of those days."
Pettersen opened with a birdie and added three in a row starting at the par-3 12th to climb into contention for her third victory of the season after the Match-Play Championship in May and the Safeway Classic.
"I'm just glad to be back in this tournament," Pettersen said. "I feel very good with my game. I'm right in where I want to be. I had some good opportunities and then saved a good par on the last. Overall very happy."
Tseng, whose 11 global titles this season include seven LPGA crowns, enjoyed having her family at the event, one of the few times in a season they see her perform. She finally began showing the form that has made her the world's best.
"I'm really happy and proud of myself," Tseng said. "Six-under on this course with these conditions is not that easy. I saw my name on the leaderboard after nine holes. It gave me more motivation to try to make more birdies."
Leading scores on Saturday after the third round of the $1.5 million LPGA Titleholders tournament (USA unless noted):
209 - Hee Young Park (KOR) 71-69-69, Sandra Gal (GER) 69-69-71
210 - Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 73-69-68
211 - Paula Creamer 69-71-71
212 - Yani Tseng (TPE) 70-76-66, Na Yeon Choi (KOR) 66-71-75
214 - Beatriz Recari (ESP) 70-77-67, I.K. Kim (KOR) 72-71-71
215 - Belen Mozo (ESP) 73-71-71, Cristie Kerr 68-76-71, Wendy Ward 70-71-74
216 - Michelle Wie 71-73-72
217 - Jimin Kang (KOR) 72-71-74, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 69-75-73
218 - Song-Hee Kim (KOR) 81-71-66, Se Ri Pak (KOR) 72-74-72, Mika Miyazato (JPN) 71-75-72, Ai Miyazato (JPN) 71-74-73, Brittany Lincicome 70-75-73, Candie Kung (TPE) 69-76-73, Mina Harigae 72-71-75, Jenny Shin (KOR) 72-72-74
219 - Hee-Won Han (KOR) 72-75-72, Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 72-74-73, Karen Stupples (GBR) 71-75-73, Maria Hjorth (SWE) 68-78-73
...
220 - Julieta Granada (PAR) 78-69-73
221 - Hee Kyung Seo (KOR) 73-75-73, Karrie Webb (AUS) 67-80-74, Amy Yang (KOR) 72-75-74
222 - Chella Choi (KOR) 73-77-72, Azahara Munoz (ESP) 69-75-78, Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED) 69-76-77, Lexi Thompson 71-75-76
225 - Catriona Matthew (GBR) 76-75-74, Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 73-74-78
226 - Christel Boeljon (NED) 76-71-79
227 - Amy Hung (TPE) 70-82-75, Meena Lee (KOR) 72-78-77
228 - Pornanong Phatlum (THA) 74-76-78, Mi Hyun Kim (KOR) 69-80-79
231 - Giulia Sergas (ITA) 75-79-77
236 - Sun Young Yoo (KOR) 80-77-79