Late birdie by Nordqvist gives her LPGA Championship lead

Anna Nordqvist may be a rookie on the LPGA tour, but she’s already showing a flair for the dramatic and a touch of the clutch.

For the second straight day, the 22-year-old Swede sank a long birdie putt on her final hole. For the second straight day, it was the margin of difference at the top of the leaderboard in the McDonald’s LPGA Championship.

After waiting out a two-hour, 20-minute rain delay, and with darkness approaching at Bulle Rock Golf Course, Nordqvist rolled in a 20-foot putt on the 15th hole to wrestle the lead away from Lindsey Wright.

She and Wright will pick up their duel bright and early this morning on the 16th, then wait for their fourth-round pairings later in the day. Six other golfers will perform the same ritual.

Of the group, Nordqvist was probably the most flushed by her finish at the end of a long day.

“Obviously, finishing with the birdie brings me some good momentum for [Sunday],” she said. “The rain delay, I think everyone just made the best out of it.”

Nordqvist was two under through 15 holes for a total of 195 after 51 holes. And while she deftly held onto her spot atop the field and Wright moved from third into second place, the rest of the leaderboard underwent significant change.

Na Yeon Choi, Jin Young Pak and Jiyai Shin all went three under par for the third round to move into the top five for the tournament. Nicole Castrale, the first-day leader, stumbled when she went two over Saturday, and Katherine Hull, who had been tied for third, shot a four-over 76 to fall to a tie for 18th.

Shin, who is four shots behind Nordqvist after shooting a 69, was among the fortunate who were able to complete the course in the third round and avoid an early-morning wake-up call.

“I am just glad that I finished,” Shin said. “Today, I was lucky I think because I finished before it got dark. Some players couldn’t finish. . . . It was a long day; I am tired.”

Shin made two birdies after the lengthy delay but finished with a birdie to settle into a tie for fifth with Kristy McPherson, who was stranded on the 17th when darkness hit.

For a while, it appeared Wright, a 29-year-old Australian, would take control of the tour’s second major of the season. Like Nordqvist, she is seeking her first LPGA victory. Until she missed a five-foot par putt on 13, she had a one-shot lead on Nordqvist.

Wright said she has had to play extra rounds on the final day once before, but couldn’t remember when. She does know what goes with the territory, though.

“Obviously there’s a disadvantage not finishing today,” she said. “But it just goes all day. . . . I mean, I would love to be sleeping in tomorrow. But the day, it’s going to be a big day regardless. So I’ve been waking up at 4:30 every morning anyway, so just another day really.”

Wright has been closing in on that elusive first victory. She finished fourth at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in Rancho Mirage the first week of April, and tied for third in the Michelob Ultra Open in Williamsburg, Va.

The experience at the Michelob, where she was tied with Christie Kerr for the lead after three rounds, has come back to help her in Havre de Grace.

“Any time I have a good finish, I always draw upon what I’ve done in the past and what I’ve learned,” Wright said. “I’m always learning. And it’s just a matter of putting yourself in these positions really. Just going with it, and that’s what I did today. I stayed patient and was fairly relaxed.”

Nordqvist’s dramatic putt at the 15th hole was more of the same on her giddy three-day run.

“I’ve been putting real well these last couple days, and I thought I rolled a lot of good putts today,” Nordqvist said. “I was on the fringe. I think it was maybe eight yards or so. I mean, you just pick the line and it went in.”

Again.

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ken.murray@baltsun.com