Park Takes Over Lead in Lorena Ochoa Invitational


Inbee Park, who is vying with Stacy Lewis for Player of the Year honors on the LPGA Tour, jumped into the lead of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational after carding a 6-under 66 Saturday.

The $1 million, 72-hole tournament hosted by the retired LPGA Tour star began Thursday at Guadalajara Country Club in Ochoa's home country of Mexico.

The 24-year-old Park carded three birdies on the front nine and three more on the back to reach 15-under 201, two strokes ahead of Cristie Kerr (67) and three in front of fellow South Korean So Yeon Ryu (67).

Second-round leader Angela Stanford posted a 72 for a 54-hole total of 11-under 205, while two strokes further back is France's Karine Icher (69).

Lewis (71), a four-time winner this season, is tied for sixth with Michelle Wie (67) and South Koreans Candie Kung (71) and Heey Kyung Seo (69). Wie logged the first of her two LPGA titles in Ochoa's tournament in 2009.

Park, a two-time winner this year, came into the event trailing Lewis in the LPGA's player-of-the-year race by 58 points. She needs to win this week as well as next week in the season-ending Titleholders in Florida to have any chance of surpassing Lewis. Lewis, a former All-American at Arkansas, is trying to become the first U.S. player to receive the annual award since Beth Daniel in 1995.

Tournament hostess Ochoa has shot rounds of 71, 72 and 70 and shares 19th at 3-under 213 with three others.

For all the scores, visit http://www.lpgascoring.com/public/Leaderboard.aspx.