SYLVANIA, Ohio — Natalie Gulbis birdied her final hole to pull into a three-way tie for the lead before play was suspended late in the third round of the storm-plagued Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic on Saturday.
Gulbis, a former Wildcat seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, birdied the par-5 17th to tie Reilley Rankin and Mi Hyun Kim at 12 under par. Kim also birdied the 17th just before play was stopped; Rankin had completed 16 holes.
Paula Creamer and Se Ri Pak were one shot back, and Annika Sorenstam, another ex-Wildcat, also made a birdie putt on her last hole — the 15th — to pull within four shots of the leaders.
Pak is trying to match Mickey Wright's LPGA Tour record of five victories in one event.
Play was stopped at 8 p.m. local time to afford course workers some daylight. Play will resume early today, with the final round to follow.
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Gulbis, the tour's cover girl, is trying to shed an image that she's all looks but doesn't have the game to play with the sport's elite. She's playing in her 126th tour event, and despite cashing checks and threatening to win, she's never followed through.
Sorenstam had rounds of 69 and 68 and was 3 under through 15 holes when the horn sounded.
A series of thunderstorms pounded Highland Meadows Golf Club with 2 inches of rain late Friday afternoon, suspending second-round play with almost half the field on the course. They returned to complete their second rounds late Saturday morning, with the third round starting midway through the afternoon.
PGA Tour
SILVIS, Ill. — John Senden took the lead and the spotlight at the John Deere Classic on Saturday, one day after Michelle Wie withdrew because of heat exhaustion.
With temperatures in the low 90s, Senden shot a 7-under 64 to reach 16 under.
Heath Slocum and Patrick Sheehan were three back at 13 under after 66s. Second-round leader Joe Ogilvie (69), Alex Cejka (64), Steve Jones (66), J.P. Hayes (66) and Daniel Chopra (68) were 12 under.
Champions Tour
DEARBORN, Mich. — Loren Roberts shot a bogey-free 8-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead over Lonnie Nielson in the Senior Players Championship.
Roberts, 51, the winner of his first three starts this season on the Champions Tour, shot 4-under 32s on each of the nines and hit a 180-yard iron shot within 4 feet to set up a birdie on the par-4 18th hole.
European Tour
LUSS, Scotland — Thomas Bjorn made a 25-foot birdie putt on the last hole to tie Darren Clarke for the lead in the Scottish Open.
Bjorn shot a 5-under 66 to match Clarke (71) at 11-under 202. Benn Barham (65), Andres Romero (68) and David Drysdale (69) were 9 under.
