Lorena Ochoa stays one shot ahead in LPGA Kraft Nabisco

Lorena Ochoa shot her second straight one-under 71 to grab a one-shot lead after the third round of the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship on Saturday.

Ochoa four birdies including three straight as the world No. 1 moved to six-under 210 after 54 holes in the first major of the season.

“In the first two rounds I played very easy and gave myself chances, making a few putts,” Ochoa said. “But today it was difficult. It was hard from the tee to the green.

“And I am pretty happy with my round and with finishing under par today. The most important thing is that I am in the lead and ready to play in the last round today,” she said.

After shooting even-par on the front nine, the Mexican recorded birdies on No. 10 to No. 12 to open her lead.

Ochoa bogeyed No. 15 for the third-straight day and also bogeyed the last hole to bring herself back to the pack.

Asked a win would rank in her career, Ochoa said she doesn’t want to think about it.

“Hopefully I win and jump in the lake and get that trophy and then I will let you now how high it is in my career,” she said.

Ochoa South Korea’s Han Hee-won by one stroke and the trio of Cristie Kerr, Sweden’s Maria Hjorth and South Korea’s Seon Hwa-lee by two shots.

“I am proud, because I was able to just hang in there and really play with the lead. So it was tough, but I managed to do it,” Ochoa said.

Annika Sorenstam, who is looking to win this event for the fourth time, had a turbulent round with four birdies and five bogeys.

“You know, after yesterday’s round, I never really got better, had a hard time keeping the food down, and then this morning got some breakfast in and thought, ‘This will be all right,’ and then I come out here and the heat, and it was tougher than I thought it would be,” Sorenstam said.

She finished one-over for the round — snapping her streak of 16 consecutive under-par rounds — and trails Ochoa by four.

Sorenstam not only is she not feeling well this week but the heat made things worse.

“I tried using an umbrella but it broke so then I gave up on that,” Sorenstam said.

First-round and 2004 Women’s British Open champion Karen Stupples struggled for the second consecutive day, carding a two-over 74, and is tied for 15th six strokes behind the leader.