Judy Dickinson’s Game Simply Sings in Stormy Weather : Golf: She fights wind and slick greens for a 69 for a three-stroke lead in the LPGA Inamori Classic.

Skies threatened. Rain fell. Winds howled. And through it all, Judy Dickinson prevailed.

While the rest of the field in the LPGA Inamori Classic struggled with the slick greens and wind-blown drives and had trouble making putts or par, Dickinson had another steady three-under-par 69, giving her a three-stroke lead over Elaine Crosby after 54 holes.

Dickinson entered the third round tied with Crosby and Meg Mallon, all at six under. But Dickinson was the only one of the trio to break par, and if conditions are similar for today’s final round at StoneRidge Country Club, she’ll have a commanding advantage.

Mallon had a stormy round, a two-over 74 that began with a tee shot into the rough followed by a three-putt on the first hole. Along the way a friend of her family fell and broke a leg. She stands five strokes behind at 212.

“Want the gory details?” Mallon said, forcing a grin. “It was a weird day. It wasn’t good vibes out there.”

Asked what would have to happen to catch Dickinson today, Mallon said, “She’s gonna have to have the kind of day I had today, and I’d have to have the kind of day she had. Those things happen . . . but she’s playing so steady, green to tee.”

Crosby played a relatively consistent round for par 72, giving her a three-day total of 210. She had one bogey but made up for it with a birdie on the 18th hole.

Still, she said, everyone seemed a bit spooked by the conditions--except Dickinson. “When you haven’t had wind, then it pops up, it changes the course. People get a little more tentative. I know I do,” Crosby said.

“Judy’s hitting it so good, it’s like she’s playing a different course than the rest of us.”

Dickinson, the 42-year-old president of the Ladies Pro Golf Assn., is looking for her first title since 1986 and made a handful of saving shots Saturday, birdieing three holes without a bogey. She saved par on the second hole by hitting within six feet of the cup after teeing off into a bunker.

“I had one bad swing today, on the second hole,” she said. “A terrible swing. Otherwise my short game was there and I was putting good. The last couple years I felt like my short game let me down. The last couple rounds, it’s been there.”

As she steadily pulled away from her closest pursuers, Dickinson said she avoided watching the leader board. “I didn’t look at it once,” she said. “I try not to look at it. I figure if I can keep making birdies I’ll be OK. (Today) I’ll just try to be steady, think my way around the course. I’d like to go out and make some birdies, make them catch me (but) I’ll be nervous. I was a little today. I’m nervous, anyway. I wish I smoked.”

On the cool, windy day that included a late-morning shower before the leaders teed off, there were few low scores. Only 11 players go into today’s round under par. Brandie Burton and Cindy Figg-Currier are tied at three-under 213, Debbie Massey and Oh-Kee Ku are two-under 214 and Sue Thomas, Lori West, Michelle Mackall and Dale Eggeling are one-under 215.

Dickinson’s 69 tied for second-best round of the day. West was the only one better, at 68.

One of the day’s more colorful rounds belonged to Burton, 20, of Rialto, who shot 69. Burton had seven birdies, but four bogeys. Burton started so well she made up three strokes in the first five holes, then bogeyed the next two.

“It was a very adventurous round.” she said with a laugh. “I hit the ball well but all of a sudden a (bad) shot would pop up out of the blue. Nothing really wrong, just little mistakes. I just couldn’t seem to keep it going.”

Saturday’s round convinced Burton she could be in contention today. “I think I am. Take away the bogies, I’m right there,” she said.

For a while the hottest round of the day was turned in by Thomas, who began the day two over and at one point was three under. But she struggled over the last four holes to finish with a 69.

Early on, Thomas’ play was unconscious--almost literally, said the three-year LPGA veteran, who shot 33 on the front nine. “I have this cold, I was kinda out of it, just going around. For a while I couldn’t do anything wrong,” she said.

First tee times are at 8 a.m. today, with the three leaders off at noon.

“The last couple weeks we’ve had somebody come out and shoot a 64, 65, 66,” Crosby said, adding hopefully, “Maybe it’s my turn.”

But the omens--and weather--seem to favor Dickinson. “All three tournaments I’ve won, I led (after three rounds),” she pointed out. “That makes me feel good.”