Ten weeks into her pregnancy, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc is chasing her second major title of the year after shooting a 5-under 67 on Saturday to lead the Women's British Open by one stroke.
Already a winner of the Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills in late March, the Frenchwoman is 10 under par at Lytham St. Annes.
She holds a one shot lead over former champion and four-time major winner Pak Se-ri and Wendy Ward, who each carded 69s for a three-round score of 207.
Right behind them at 8-under comes the formidable Annika Sorenstam, winner of another of this year's majors, the LPGA Championship, while defending champion Karrie Webb is 7-under at 209.
Winner of 5 majors in total, Sorenstam carded a 4-under 68 to haul herself back into contention while Webb, who has six, returned a 70.
That means there are winners of a combined 16 majors in the top five on the leaderboard going into Sunday's final round in which Sorenstam and Pak will be playing partners.
Sorenstam eagled the par 5 sixth by chipping in from 20 feet and added two more birdies in a bogey-free round. She said she was happy to be chasing the leaders and maybe setting the target.
"I'm back where I want to be, having a chance to win the British Open," said the Swede, who has been a three-time runner up.
"I think right now I'm in the perfect spot. I will have played the same holes before which is a good thing."
Meunier-Lebouc, expecting her first child, said he had been suffering sickness most days before and during the tournament.
It didn't show in her play as she birdied four of the first five holes and then added an eagle three at the sixth where her 3-wood second shot wound up five feet from the hole.
"I felt a little better on course but it's still tough," the Frenchwoman said.
"I'm happy to get on the golf course and play. I have no choice. I know I feel I just have to enjoy being out there and hitting one shot after another even with no morning sickness.
``I know it's tough to be leading in a major championship but I've been that already in the one that I won."
Meunier-Lebouc led the Nabisco by two at half way and by three after the third round. She beat Sorenstam by one stroke.
Winner of the tournament two years ago at Sunningdale, Pak knows she should have been the leader going into the final round but missed two makeable par putts at 17 and 18 and finished bogey-bogey. After her sixth birdie at 16, the Korean missed the putting surface with her third shot and pitched her third 10 feet past the flag. At the last, her tee shot went into a fairway bunker and she had to chip out onto the fairway. She hit a superb third to 15 feet but again misread the lie.
"I think I misread two in a row," the Korean star said. "I didn't much see the break but the ball went to the right. But no matter what I miss or make I'm in good shape."
Ward, who started out 6-under, picked up four birdies by the 10th. But she bogeyed the last when she missed the green with her second shot.
"It's frustrating ending with a bogey and having a 9-iron in your hands and missing the green," she said. "I just got a little aggressive with my approach and came over the top of it a little bit."
Heather Bowie, who had a two-stroke lead going into the third round as she sought to make her first pro title a major, tumbled off the leaderboard when she lost her ball at the 11th and took a double bogey seven. She wound up 6-under 210 and a share of sixth place.
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