Jee Young Lee's 63 Vaults Her To Top: Sarah Lee 1 Back

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) _ Jee Young Lee and Sarah Lee routinely play practice rounds together. On Sunday, they will tee it up again with a much bigger prize at stake. <br/><br/>The South Korean buddies

Saturday, May 12th 2007, 5:57 pm

By: News On 6

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) _ Jee Young Lee and Sarah Lee routinely play practice rounds together. On Sunday, they will tee it up again with a much bigger prize at stake.

The South Korean buddies will be in the final pairing of the day in the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, with Jee Young Lee looking for her second career LPGA Tour victory and Sarah Lee planning an aggressive approach as she tries for her first.

``It's a lot of chance, just one shot back,'' Sarah Lee said.

It's also good that she's accustomed to playing with her countrywoman, one of the longest hitters on tour, who had a strong iron game working for her Saturday.

``I'm expecting, you know, to be behind her,'' Sarah Lee said. ``Definitely, a win is my goal, but I have to control everything before ... 18 holes, to (get to) my goal.

``I have to focus on what I do on every single shot.''

Jee Young Lee made eight birdies in her bogey-free 63, matching the course record set by Kim Williams in 2004 and matched by Sarah Lee on Thursday.

None of Jee Young Lee's birdie putts was from longer than about 15 feet.

While she bolted to the front, the three front-runners going into the day also came back to the pack, setting up a possible free-for-all chase to the finish Sunday.

Sarah Lee lost her steady game and had three bogeys in a 72, and Becky Morgan couldn't back up the 65 that had her second at the midpoint. She shot a 74 as the wind blew in the players' faces on several holes, dropping into a five-way tie at 206.

Amy Hung, four back to start the day, fell seven back after a 74.

That the lead stayed at 11 under was good news to that group, which also included Paula Creamer (67), Ai Miyazato (66), Suzann Pettersen (68) and Carin Koch (70), now all within a one-hole swing or just a good start Sunday of making it interesting.

``I think it's going to be an exciting Sunday,'' Creamer said.

Morgan, Seon Hwa Lee (65) and Morgan Pressel (68) were five shots off the lead.

Of course, Jee Young Lee could make it a race for second with a repeat of the third round. Her victory came in 2005, and she said she's confident she can win again.

Sarah Lee will try not to focus on herself, not her booming playing partner.

``I want to play my game, starting a whole new 18 holes,'' she said.

So will everyone else, trying to turn up the pressure for the finishing nine.

``You're playing the golf course up until then,'' said Creamer, who won her third career tour title in February. ``Then you go out and see what you have to do.''

Creamer's key in the third round was avoiding the momentum-killing bogeys that plagued her and most everyone else in the first two rounds. She'd had three of them.

``It's big. When you get on a roll out here, you can make a lot of birdies, and you just don't want to give any shots back,'' she said. Making a couple of testy late putts _ an 8-footer on No. 17 and 4 1/2-footer on No. 18 _ also saved her round, she said.

Miyazato, in her second season on the LPGA Tour, has 14 international victories, but none on tour. She has tied for third twice in seven starts this year, and feels ready to set off a huge celebration in Japan with her breakthrough victory.

``I think it's going to be crazy,'' she said of the party, when it comes. ``I need more confidence. I need more patience. I need to try to get more birdies.''

Pettersen also is seeking her first tour victory, and needs help on the greens.

``I haven't putted well at all,'' she said. ``I don't think I could hit it much better than I am now. I'm just trying to be really patient with my game.''