Pampling (68) takes charge at Memorial

Rod Pampling finished the storm-delayed third round of the Memorial with a flourish Saturday, holing a 40-foot birdie putt to take the lead and hitting a terrific fairway bunker shot that capped off a four-under-par 68, giving him a three-shot lead in Dublin, Ohio.

Pampling joined the leaders with a birdie from the bunker on the par-five 11th hole, just as tournament host Jack Nicklaus and his grandson pulled up in a cart to watch. Pampling went one shot ahead with a 40-foot birdie on the 14th.

But he saved his most impressive work for the final hole. From 153 yards away in a bunker, his shot just reached the green and stopped three feet from the hole. He is at 15-under 201.

Second-round leader Adam Scott stayed one shot behind from the 14th with three consecutive up-and-downs, one of them for birdie on the par-five 15th hole.

But he ran out of luck on the 18th when his tee shot strayed into a thick clump of grass in front of a slope, and he missed an eight-foot par putt. That gave him an even-par 72, and left him at 204 along with Sean O’Hair.

O’Hair stayed close with an eagle on the seventh, then ran off three birdies during a four-hole stretch on the back nine for a 69.

Will MacKenzie and Stewart Cink each shot 65, the low rounds of the day, and were at 205 with Aaron Baddeley (71).

Nine players were within five shots of the lead, including U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, who shot 67.

Tiger Woods sputtered again, making birdie on only one of the par fives during his round of 70 that left him 10 shots behind.

The round was delayed 2 1/2 hours when lightning-filled storms moved into the area.

*

Despite three late bogeys, Lorena Ochoa shot a two-under 70 to take a three-stroke lead in the Ginn Tribute at Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Ochoa’s bogey stretch came in the final six holes. She finished at 11-under 205, three shots ahead of Nicole Castrale (68). Cristie Kerr (67) and LPGA rookie Angela Park (71) were four strokes behind.

Ochoa holed out from the fairway for an eagle on the par-five ninth. When she chipped in for birdie on the 12th hole, she led by six strokes.

After a long delay on the 13th hole to squeegee off the green from the steady rains of tropical depression Barry, Ochoa dropped a shot. She then made back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes.

*

Jay Haas shot a six-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Tom Purtzer after the second round of the Boeing Championship at Destin, Fla.

Haas, the Champions Tour money leader, is at 13-under 129 on the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s Raven Golf Club course. Purtzer, the first-round co-leader after a 62, shot a 68.

Eduardo Romero, who also opened with a 62, was 11 under after a 69. Denis Watson, Loren Roberts and Brad Bryant each shot 67 and are tied at 10 under.