LPGA Championship – 3rd Round

Na On Min, a non-exempt rookie competing in her first major championship, fired a 65 to take a one shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Championship. Second-round leader Suzann Pettersen is in second place at -9, Karrie Webb and rookie Angela Park are tied for third at -8, and Morgan Pressel is fifth at -7.

Min only bogeyed one hole to post Saturday’s low round, three strokes better than anyone else all day. Although her place atop the board is unexpected, Min has shown her talent a couple of times before. She finished fifth at the Corona Championship and T11 at the Corning Classic. Being non-exempt, this is only her sixth start of 2007 and the seventh of her career. If she can hold on, she would surpass Pressel as the youngest player to win a major and Paula Creamer as the youngest to win any multi-round LPGA event (at 18 years, 7 months, 5 days).

Pettersen is looking for her first major and some redemption after failing to hold onto the Sunday lead at the Nabisco. Park is looking for her first win of any kind and to virtually lock up the Rookie Of The Year title. Pressel is looking to keep her chance at winning the Grand Slam alive. And Webb is looking for her eighth major championship. Some pretty good storylines there for a Sunday afternoon.

Not out of this thing yet are Kim Saiki-Maloney (-6), Lorena Ochoa, Nicole Castrale, Jee Young Lee, Brittany Lincicome, Birdie Kim and Siew Ai-Lim (all -5), since they all are within five shots of first. Annika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer are among those six back, and will need to go really low to challenge.