Creamer leading close to her home

Paula Creamer told herself to be patient and it finally paid off. She birdied her final three holes Saturday to shoot a four-under-par 68 for the three-day lead heading into the final round of the LPGA’s Samsung World Championship at Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Creamer, who had birdied only No. 7 before her strong finish, played solid golf all day and didn’t have a bogey as she compiled a 54-hole total of six-under 210. She would like nothing more than to capture the $250,000 winner’s purse while playing near her hometown of Pleasanton.

Angela Stanford, who had a double eagle Friday, led for much of the day but hurt herself with two double bogeys on the back nine before making birdies on the final two holes for a three-under 69 to stay one stroke back at five-under 211. Australian Katherine Hull made an eagle on No. 4 and also birdied 18 for a 69 to stay within two strokes of the lead on a day when birdies were hard to come by for everybody in the elite 20-player field.

Two-time defending Samsung champion and world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa shot a 70 and is two strokes off the lead. She narrowly missed several birdie putts.

Players hit through a light drizzle at times on a cool fall day in the Bay Area but the rain never lasted for long.

“It’s not a birdie-fest out there by any means,” Creamer said. “I’ve never seen a scoreboard go up and down so much in a tournament. Early on people have been starting off so well and haven’t been able to finish.”

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Tag Ridings missed a short par putt on the final hole to fall into a tie for the lead with Charles Howell III after the third round of the Turning Stone Resort Championship at Verona, N.Y.

Ridings (71), winless in 130 starts on the PGA Tour, finished with a one-under 71 to match Howell (69) at eight-under 208.

“I’ve been in position a lot out here and haven’t gotten it done,” Ridings said of his winless streak. “But a lot of times I have gotten it done on other tours, so it’s not quite an alien experience.”

Jeff Overton (73), who led both the first and second rounds by one shot, was tied for third at seven under with Brian Davis (69), Jason Day (71) and Kyle Thompson (69).

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Kim Wi-joong shot a two-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Korea Open at Seoul.

The South Korean was at 10-under 203 after a round of five birdies and three bogeys at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club. American Anthony Kim (67), Englishman Ian Poulter (69) and South Koreans Bae Sang-moon (67) and Kim Dae-sub (69) were tied for second.