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Park pushes her lead to two after third round at Manulife Financial Classic

By Associated Press
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Park pushes her lead to two after third round at Manulife Financial Classic

WATERLOO, Ontario -- South Korea's Inbee Park shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the inaugural Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.

The 2008 U.S. Women's Open champion had a 14-under 199 total at Grey Silo. She rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 17th with a birdie on the par-5 18th.

"I hit the ball very good today," Park said. "I hit a lot of good iron shots, and I think I played the par 5s really good today. That helped me a lot. There was some more putts out there that I could have made, but I was really happy with the way I hit the ball today. Hopefully, tomorrow it will be a better putting day."

Brittany Lang and Hee Kyung Seo shot a 67 to reach 12 under.

Lang parred the first 15 holes, then birdied Nos. 16 and 17 and made a 5-foot eagle putt in 18. The former Duke star is winless on the LPGA Tour.

"I hit some good putts and some good shots and I just couldn't get anything going," Lang said. "But I stayed patient and positive and finally made the birdie on 16 and got some energy and hit a great shot into 17. That was a great and even that, it's tricky to read the greens out here. You can hit good putts and not make them, but I stayed positive and just hit two awesome shots on 18. I'm very happy with that finish."

Anna Nordqvist was 10 under after a 67.

"I thought it was solid. I played really well yesterday afternoon, couldn't make a putt, shot 1 over, so I was a little bit disappointed after yesterday," Nordqvist said. "So, I think it kind of got me a little, you know, a little momentum coming into today. It was solid. I hit a lot of greens, took advantage of the par 5s and I think that's the keys on this course."

China's Shanshan Feng, coming off a major victory two weeks ago in the Wegmans LPGA Championship, was 9 under along with Karin Sjodin, Nicole Hage and first-round leader Sandra Changkija. Feng had a 70, Sjodin shot 69, Hage 67 and Changkija 69. Stacy Lewis, a two-time winner this year, had a 69 to top the group at 8 under.

"This has been the nicest tournament I think I've ever played in," Hage said. "This is my fifth year on tour and it's just been first class from just every little detail and the fans out here are just unbelievable. I played in seven Opens and these fans are awesome."

Michelle Wie was even par after a 73.