Nordqvist extends lead to two as third round finishes

By Larry Fine
HAVRE DE GRACE, Maryland (Reuters) - Swede Anna Nordqvist rolled in a 14-foot birdie putt at the 17th and saved par at 18 to extend her LPGA Championship lead to two strokes on Sunday after completing her weather-halted third round.
Nordqvist, who had three holes left when play was halted on Saturday, moved to 11 under par at Bulle Rock, two better than Australian Lindsey Wright heading into Sunday's last round.
Wright parred her remaining three holes to stand at nine under par, two shots ahead of South Koreans Choi Na-yeon and Pak Jin-young.
Eight players had to return to finish the third round.
The tall Nordqvist doubled her lead with her downhill birdie putt at 17 but nearly gave a stroke back at the last when her chip on to the green rolled 12 feet away from the cup.
Nordqvist, a former British Amateur champion playing her first major as a professional, rolled in the difficult putt to preserve the two-shot advantage.
"Making that putt feels great," she told Reuters outside the scoring tent.
The former Arizona State University student, who turned 22 on the eve of the championship, said she was not thinking about how big her lead was going into the final round.
"Just focusing on my own game," she said. "If it's one shot or two shots, that's nothing I can do much about."
Wright was happy to get the third round finished.
"I feel pretty good considering I had four-and-a-half, five hours of sleep but that's just how it goes," she said.
"I finished the last three holes -- they're pretty tough holes -- at par, having to come out early, so that's was good."
Nordqvist and Wright, who returned to the course at 0730 local time to resume the third round, will tee off for the final round at 1436 (1836 GMT).
Choi, who was angry that she could not play the 18th on Saturday when play was stopped with her standing on the tee, bogeyed the hole upon her return early on Sunday.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)

Source: Reuters