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Pettersen joins Ochoa on leaderboard at Bighorn

Norway's Suzann Pettersen fired an eight-under-par 64 on Saturday to seize a share of the third-round lead in the Samsung LPGA World Championship.

Pettersen joined world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa of Mexico atop the leaderboard on 12-under-par 204.

Ochoa, the defending champion, started the day with a one-shot lead and carded a 69 to remain in good position to claim her seventh title of the year.

Pettersen's round included nine birdies and just one bogey as she leapfrogged from a tie for seventh in the elite 20-woman tournament.

Her surge set up another showdown with Ochoa, who tops this year's LPGA money list with more than US$3 million. Pettersen is her nearest rival with US$1.3 million in earnings.

Pettersen overcame Ochoa at the second hole of sudden death last Sunday to win the Longs Drugs Challenge.

She notched her third victory of the season and with Ochoa is the only player with multiple titles this year.

"I played her a lot this year, she is a good friend," Pettersen said. "But once you tee it off, you try to beat each other and that's just the way this game is. You want 150 friends out here, but every week you are going to try to beat them down."

Like Ochoa, Pettersen's victories this year include a major -- in her case the LPGA Championship.

Ochoa, who claimed her first career major at the Women's British Open, had five birdies in her round at Bighorn Golf Club, but faltered with two back-nine bogeys, including her second bogey of the week at 18.

"I'm a little bit frustrated right now with that driver again on 18," said Ochoa, who took an unplayable lie after her tee shot landed in a bush. Her second shot was in a bunker, from where she got up and down for the bogey.

The co-leaders were one stroke in front of three golfers, including outstanding rookie Angela Park.
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