Golf | Jang tames wind to tie lead at Corning

Jang tames wind to tie lead at Corning

By JOHN KEKIS
Associated Press

CORNING, N.Y. — Even with an arthritic right wrist that hampers her swing, Jeong Jang is a player to be reckoned with.

Jang, fresh from two consecutive top-3 finishes that moved her to fifth on the 2008 LPGA money list, shot a 3-under 69 on Saturday to tie Erica Blasberg for the lead after three rounds at the Corning Classic.

Playing with a bandage that conceals a painful cyst, Jang sank a 3-foot birdie putt on her final hole to tie Blasberg (70) at 7-under 209.

Jang has won twice on tour, including the 2005 British Open, but two years ago she led by three shots here after three rounds and ballooned to a 76 on the final day and finished seventh.

She remembers.

“I think I am just learning everything every time I get a mistake,” said Jang, who finished 11th at Corning in 2007 for the second time in three years. “I tried too hard. I don’t think I want to do that again.”

Jang, who had two bogeys and four birdies on the front nine, reached 7 under with an 18-foot birdie putt at No. 10 and managed to save par at 14 with a deft downhill putt after her third shot on the par-5 landed on the back edge of the massive, undulating green.

Jang’s string of five straight pars ended when her second shot at 16 was short and she two-putted from 5 feet for bogey. She almost got that shot back at 17, but her birdie putt rolled around the rim and somehow didn’t fall.

The top two were one shot ahead of Leta Lindley (70) and Katherine Hull (72). Song-Hee Kim (70) was another stroke behind in fifth, and Mi Hyun Kim (68) was in a tie for sixth with Sung Ah Yim (70), Seo-Jae Lee (71), Sun Young Yoo (71), and Meredith Duncan (71). Dina Ammaccapane began the day with a one-shot lead but shot 76 and was five shots behind.

A year ago, Young Kim shot 20 under to win here, but the difficult weather has played havoc all week. Blasberg’s opening 65 is the low round so far, and the average score Saturday was just above par at 72.46. The final round will begin with 27 players within five shots of the lead or closer.

“I’m a little surprised (at the scores) because there’s quite a few good players here,” Blasberg said. “I think it’s the swirling wind out there.”

Janice Moodie (77) could vouch for that. Seeking her third career victory and first since 2002, Moodie was just one shot behind at the start of the day. But any chance she had disappeared after five bogeys and a double bogey dropped her to par.

Blasberg had her troubles, too, making bogey at the difficult first hole, a 402-yarder with a slight dogleg right and the most difficult hole at Corning Country Club. She rebounded quickly, though, with eagle at the par-5 second hole and followed with three more birdies to make the turn with the lead at 9 under.

Blasberg’s surge ended when she pulled a 2-foot par putt left of the hole and made bogey at the par-3 11th hole. Then she missed a 10-foot putt for par at 13 to drop into a tie with Jang and Lindley at 7 under. Blasberg’s putter failed her again at the par-5 14th when she missed just left on a short birdie try, and she parred out to retain a share of the lead.

It’s a position she doesn’t necessarily relish, but she has some experience to fall back on. Blasberg was in the final group with Annika Sorenstam on the final day at Turtle Bay in February and shot 74 to finish in a tie for eighth.

“I struggled my final round out there,” said Blasberg, a two-time All-American at Arizona. “I think I was almost taking it as a learning experience. I don’t think I quite was focused on my own game as much. But it was good because I learned a lot. I’m going to go out and play tomorrow and see what the golf gods give me.”

Temperatures were in the mid-60s again, but the wind was gusting to 20 mph or more, and Sandra Gal (76) found out quickly just how tricky the course again was playing. After making three birdies on her first five holes to reach 7 under, Gal had a three-putt triple bogey at No. 6, a bogey at No. 7, and another triple bogey at the 10th hole to fall to even par.

“I’m definitely going to forget about it and go for every single shot on Sunday,” Gal said.

Divots: Australian rookie Anna Rawson, who made her first cut in her fifth tour start with opening rounds of 69 and 75, had a 2-under 70 and was at 214. ... 1988 Corning winner Sherri Turner, most likely playing here for the final time as she contemplates retirement, shot 73 and was 1 over after three rounds.

Scores with relation to par from the third round of the Corning Classic, played May 24 at the par-72, 6,223-yard Corning (N.Y.) Country Club (Note: a-amateur):

1. Jeong Jang	71-69-69--209		-7
1. Erica Blasberg	65-74-70--209		-7
3. Katherine Hull	70-72-68--210		-6
3. Leta Lindley	73-67-70--210		-6
5. Song-Hee Kim	71-70-70--211		-5
6. Mi Hyun Kim	71-73-68--212		-4
6. Sung Ah Yim	69-73-70--212		-4
6. Seo-Jae Lee	72-69-71--212		-4
6. Sun Young Yoo	74-67-71--212		-4
6. Meredith Duncan	73-68-71--212		-4
11. Emily Bastel	71-75-67--213		-3
11. Hee-Won Han	72-74-67--213		-3
11. Linda Wessberg	72-72-69--213		-3
11. Beth Bader	70-73-70--213		-3
11. Jamie Hullett	70-73-70--213		-3
11. Eva Dahllof	69-73-71--213		-3
11. Na Yeon Choi	68-74-71--213		-3
11. Patricia Meunier-Lebouc	69-73-71--213		-3
11. Karine Icher	67-74-72--213		-3
11. Jimin Kang	68-73-72--213		-3
11. Katie Futcher	70-69-74--213		-3
22. Diana D'Alessio	73-73-68--214		-2
22. Anna Rawson	69-75-70--214		-2
22. Lorie Kane	70-73-71--214		-2
22. Seon Hwa Lee	72-71-71--214		-2
22. Giulia Sergas	70-72-72--214		-2
22. Becky Morgan	70-70-74--214		-2
22. Wendy Ward	69-70-75--214		-2
22. Dina Ammaccapane	69-69-76--214		-2
30. Meena Lee	75-71-69--215		-1
30. Kris Tschetter	71-74-70--215		-1
30. Paula Creamer	70-74-71--215		-1
30. H.J. Choi	71-73-71--215		-1
30. Kyeong Bae	72-72-71--215		-1
30. Il Mi Chung	70-72-73--215		-1
30. Na On Min	67-74-74--215		-1
30. Onnarin Sattayabanphot	69-72-74--215		-1
30. Johanna Head	71-69-75--215		-1
39. Hee Young Park	71-74-71--216		E
39. Alena Sharp	71-74-71--216		E
39. In-Kyung Kim	72-72-72--216		E
39. Jimin Jeong	72-72-72--216		E
39. Sandra Gal	68-72-76--216		E
39. Janice Moodie	71-68-77--216		E
45. Audra Burks	71-75-71--217	+	1
45. Jennifer Gleason	73-73-71--217	+	1
45. Sherri Turner	68-76-73--217	+	1
45. Amy Hung	71-73-73--217	+	1
45. Allison Hanna-Williams	73-71-73--217	+	1
45. Laura Diaz	70-73-74--217	+	1
45. Ji Young Oh	71-72-74--217	+	1
52. Sarah Jane Kenyon	75-71-72--218	+	2
52. Susie Redman	75-71-72--218	+	2
52. Michelle McGann	74-71-73--218	+	2
52. Carolina Llano	70-74-74--218	+	2
52. Lee Ann Walker-Cooper	72-72-74--218	+	2
52. Kris Tamulis	69-74-75--218	+	2
52. Kim Hall	75-69-74--218	+	2
59. Meaghan Francella	73-73-73--219	+	3
59. Meg Mallon	73-73-73--219	+	3
59. Virada Nirapathpongporn	70-75-74--219	+	3
59. Leah Wigger	75-70-74--219	+	3
59. Angela Jerman	70-74-75--219	+	3
64. Mhairi McKay	70-72-78--220	+	4
65. Ashli Bunch	74-72-75--221	+	5
65. Irene Cho	73-72-76--221	+	5
65. Ashleigh Simon	74-71-76--221	+	5
68. Liz Janangelo	71-74-77--222	+	6
68. Michelle Ellis	72-73-77--222	+	6
70. Reilley Rankin	71-75-78--224	+	8
71. Kim Williams	73-72-80--225	+	9
• • •
Missed the cut
72. Shanshan Feng	74-73--147	+	3
72. Inbee Park	74-73--147	+	3
72. Kristy McPherson	71-76--147	+	3
72. Mikaela Parmlid	73-74--147	+	3
72. Marcy Hart	73-74--147	+	3
72. Na Ri Kim	77-70--147	+	3
72. Jean Bartholomew	75-72--147	+	3
72. Laurie Brower	77-70--147	+	3
72. Anna Grzebien	73-74--147	+	3
81. Tracy Hanson	75-73--148	+	4
81. Kristen Samp	71-77--148	+	4
81. Pamela Kerrigan	74-74--148	+	4
81. Silvia Cavalleri	76-72--148	+	4
81. Hilary Lunke	73-75--148	+	4
81. Jill McGill	74-74--148	+	4
81. Angela Stanford	75-73--148	+	4
81. Young Kim	74-74--148	+	4
81. Kate Golden	75-73--148	+	4
81. Hannah Jun	73-75--148	+	4
81. Susan Ginter	72-76--148	+	4
81. Seol-An Jeon	75-73--148	+	4
93. Chris Brady	74-75--149	+	5
93. Lisa Strom	70-79--149	+	5
93. Jackie Gallagher-Smith	73-76--149	+	5
93. Heather Daly-Donofrio	73-76--149	+	5
93. Danielle Downey	75-74--149	+	5
93. Soo-Yun Kang	74-75--149	+	5
93. Miriam Nagl	73-76--149	+	5
93. Vicki Goetze-Ackerman	74-75--149	+	5
93. Maggie Will	76-73--149	+	5
93. Barb Mucha	77-72--149	+	5
93. Beth Allen	75-74--149	+	5
104. Sophie Giquel	74-76--150	+	6
104. Nancy Scranton	75-75--150	+	6
104. Wendy Doolan	76-74--150	+	6
104. Allison Finney	78-72--150	+	6
104. Cindy Pasechnik	75-75--150	+	6
104. Rosie Jones	74-76--150	+	6
104. Taylor Leon	75-75--150	+	6
104. Gloria Park	76-74--150	+	6
104. Heather Young	75-75--150	+	6
104. Mollie Fankhauser	73-77--150	+	6
104. Eunjung Yi	72-78--150	+	6
104. Amie Cochran	75-75--150	+	6
116. Becky Iverson	74-77--151	+	7
116. Sarah Lynn Sargent	75-76--151	+	7
116. Nicole Jeray	74-77--151	+	7
116. Brandi Jackson	76-75--151	+	7
116. Jeanne Cho-Hunicke	77-74--151	+	7
121. Hwanhee Lee	76-76--152	+	8
121. a-Tessa Teachman	75-77--152	+	8
121. Su A Kim	75-77--152	+	8
121. Cathy Johnston-Forbes	72-80--152	+	8
121. Sherri Steinhauer	74-78--152	+	8
121. Moira Dunn	76-76--152	+	8
121. Paige Mackenzie	78-74--152	+	8
121. Sukjin Wuesthoff	73-79--152	+	8
129. Charlotta Sorenstam	73-80--153	+	9
129. Candie Kung	75-78--153	+	9
129. Carri Wood	73-80--153	+	9
132. Nicole Hage	76-78--154	+	10
132. Hana Kim	76-78--154	+	10
132. Simi Mehra	78-76--154	+	10
132. Patricia Baxter-Johnson	76-78--154	+	10
132. A.J. Eathorne	78-76--154	+	10
137. Siew-Ai Lim	73-82--155	+	11
137. Cindy Rarick	78-77--155	+	11
139. Jennifer Greggain	78-78--156	+	12
140. Danielle Ammaccapane	77-80--157	+	13
141. Nina Reis	78-80--158	+	14
142. Amy Read	81-80--161	+	17
WD. a-Tory MacNeil	89-WD

Posted: 5/24/2008

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