Moodie Is Three Over but Leads in British Open

Janice Moodie splashed out of a bunker on No. 18 to save par and take a one-stroke lead over Betsy King into today’s final round of the Women’s British Open at Lytham St. Anne’s, England.

“There was a time when I would have thought, ‘This is an automatic bogey,’ ” said Moodie, a 25-year-old Scot in her first year on the LPGA Tour. “Now I try not to think about that. I know that even if I miss a green there’s still a good chance I’ll get up and down.”

Moodie finished with a 15-foot putt for a three-over 219 total. She and King each closed with par 72 at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s.

Brandie Burton, the second-round leader, made a triple-bogey eight on the seventh hole to lose the lead and wound up with a 77 for a 222. Se Ri Pak’s bid for a third major crumbled when she bogeyed the first five holes in her round of 79. She is seven shots off the pace.

Following Moodie and King at five over are Americans Wendy Ward (74) and Leslie Spalding (75), and Smitri Mehra of India (71).

Moodie is chasing her first pro title. King, the biggest money winner in LPGA history, has won 31.

“I’m looking forward to going out with Betsy King [today] because we also played the first two rounds together,” Moodie said. “It’s kind of exciting and the nerves are going in my stomach.”

Moodie birdied the sixth and 14th holes but bogeyed Nos. 10 and 17. She was in trouble again on No. 18 when she landed in the greenside bunker, but she managed to escape.

King birdied the first, sixth, 10th and 11th holes but also collected four bogeys.

It would have been five but she too produced an excellent bunker shot on the last hole. The ball landed a foot from the flag and she left with a par.

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Bruce Summerhays made every putt he faced inside 15 feet on the way to a seven-under 65 in the second round of the First of America Classic at Ada, Mich.

Summerhays was at 11-under 133, two ahead of George Archer entering today’s final round at Egypt Valley Country Club. Archer shot a 67.

Jim Dent and Jose Maria Canizares of Spain trail Summerhays by two strokes, and defending champion Gil Morgan is four strokes off the pace after matching Summerhays’ 65.

Summerhays, who has won twice on the Senior PGA Tour, bogeyed the third hole but then birdied eight of the next 14.

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Jenny Chuasiriporn, who lost a 20-hole playoff to Pak last month in the U.S. Women’s Open, needed 21 holes to stave off Brandi Miller of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Ann Arbor, Mich.

Chuasiriporn birdied No. 18 to extend the match against Miller. She won when Miller lipped out a par putt on the third extra hole.

Chuasiriporn will play Grace Park, 19, of Phoenix, in today’s 36-hole championship match at Barton Hills Country Club. Park overcame an early three-hole deficit to beat Marcy Newton of High Point, N.C., 2 and 1.

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In Front

Leaders through Saturday’s play (Complete scores, C14):

WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN--Par 72

Janice Moodie: 75-72-72--219 +3

Betsy King: 71-77-72--220 +4

Smriti Mehra: 73-77-71--221 +5

Wendy Ward: 76-71-74--221 +5

Leslie Spalding: 76-70-75--221 +5

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FIRST OF AMERICA CLASSIC--Par 72

Bruce Summerhays: 68-65--133 -11

George Archer: 68-67--135 -9

Jim Dent: 70-66--136 -8

Jose Maria Canizares: 67-69--136 -8