Nancy Brown Leads Patti Rizzo by Two Strokes

After four-plus seasons on the LPGA tour, Nancy Brown is within 18 holes of the first victory of her career.

Brown shot a one-under-par 70 Saturday to break a tie with Laura Davies and take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Red Robin Kyocera Inamori tournament at StoneRidge Country Club. She has a 54-hole total of 206, seven under par.

Patti Rizzo shot a 68 to climb into second place with a total of 208. Martha Nause, who had been only one shot behind at the halfway point, shot a 72 and was at 209.

Davies, who shared the second-round lead with Brown, skidded to a 76, falling into a tie for 10th place at 212. Her round was ruined by a nine on the par-five sixth hole when she hit two consecutive drives out of bounds for a total of four penalty strokes.

The 25-year-old Briton took her misfortune in stride, saying, “I hit two bad shots and paid the maximum penalty. But I’m only six shots behind, and I’m still in the hunt. Maybe I have to shoot a 64 to win, maybe I don’t.”

Sharing fourth place at 210, four shots behind, were Juli Inkster, Penny Hammel and Jane Crafter.

Brown, 27, from Centralia, Ill., and the University of Kentucky, has led once previously going into the final round. In the Women’s Kemper Open at Kauai, Hawaii, six weeks ago, she finished with a 77 and tied for 14th place.

“Hopefully, I learned from that experience,” she said. “I have a lot of confidence right now.”

Brown, whose round included four birdies and three bogeys, said maintaining her poise would be the key to her chances.

“My biggest problem is that I get too worried about making mistakes,” she said. “I’ve got to forget about them and do what has gotten me here.”

Lenore Rittenhouse made the second hole-in-one of the tournament, a six-iron on the 153-yard seventh hole. She went on from there to a 29, the best nine of the tournament, but then skidded to a 39.

Cindy Mackey shot the tournament’s best round, a 66.