LPGA Tournament : Lopez, Setting a Record Pace, Leads Skinner by 4 After a 69

Nancy Lopez scorched the Willow Creek Golf Course back nine to hold off challengers Jane Geddes and Val Skinner with a three-under-par 69, good for a four-shot lead over Skinner Saturday in the $210,000 Henredon Ladies Professional Golf Assn. tournament.

“I just felt like I really wasn’t ever in any kind of a groove today,” said Lopez, who needs three more victories to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. “I found myself losing patience. Today, I felt like I played a horrible round.”

Her round was good enough to help set a 54-hole record for the tournament.

Lopez countered two bogeys with two birdies on the front nine for a par 36. She started the back nine with a bogey but got the stroke back on the par-three 11th hole. After a par at the 12th, Lopez alternated between birdie and par on the last six holes to come in with a 33 and a three-day total of 202, 14 under par. It was the lowest 54-hole total this year, one shot better than the score shot by Patty Sheehan at the J&B; tournament in April.

“I just hung in there and I didn’t let the bad holes bother me,” Lopez said. “I’ve just got to be aggressive when I can be.”

Skinner staged the best comeback of the day, getting two eagles for a five-under-par 67 and a 206.

Geddes was the closest to Lopez after two rounds, four shots off the pace. Her third round included four birdies and two bogeys, the last of which dropped her back into third place with a 70 and a 207.