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Nordqvist moves into lead with Wie 3 back

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Michelle Wie teed off at the third hole on her way to a second consecutive 66

MOBILE, Ala. >> Anna Nordqvist moved into position for her third victory of the year, shooting her second straight 6-under 66 to take the third-round lead Saturday in the Airbus LPGA Classic.

Hawaii’s Michelle Wie moved up to fourth place after also posting a second consecutive 66.

Wie’s bogey-free round tied her with Jessica Korda and 18-year-old Charley Hull at 13-under 203 heading into the final round.

“I felt like there’s a lot of low scores out there, so I was just trying to keep up with everyone else, making birdies,” Wie said. “Hopefully, I can have another low one tomorrow.”

Nordqvist, the 26-year-old Swede, had a 16-under 200 total on The Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Magnolia Grove complex.

“All I can do is put myself in a position to have a chance tomorrow, and I felt like I’ve done that,” Nordqvist said. “Last year, I was in the final group and I was playing well and there was a lot of people coming from behind, so I know this golf course, you can never relax. You always have to keep pushing forward and trying to make birdies, because if you don’t, someone else will.”

Nordqvist played the front nine in 5-under 31, birdieing Nos. 2-5 and 9, and added a birdie on the par-5 16th. She has only one bogey — on her fourth hole Friday — in 54 holes.

“I felt very confident and very comfortable,” Nordqvist said. “Got off to a really good start and just tried to keep the momentum.”

Catriona Matthew, the 44-year-old Scot who led after each of the first two days, was a stroke back after a 70. She bogeyed three of the first five holes to drop to 10 under, then birdied five of the last 15 — including three of the last four.

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