Fudoh enters final day with one-shot lead at Women's British Open

SUNNINGDALE, England -- Yuri Fudoh of Japan shot a 3-under 69 to lead by one stroke after the third round of the Women's British Open on Saturday.

Fudoh, who got into the tournament after finishing in the top 15 of the championship a year ago at St. Andrew's, is at 13-under 203 at Sunningdale and in sight of her first major title.

Ji-Yai Shin of South Korea (70) is second after making a bogey at the last. Shin drove her tee shot into the rough. She then pulled her second shot into the gallery and almost onto the first tee behind. Taking a drop, she pitched 20 feet past the hole and then missed a 20-foot par putt.

Fudoh was the leading money winner on the Japanese LPGA six times in a row between 2000-05, having won 45 tournaments in her homeland. She is using veteran caddie Peter Coleman, who helped Bernhard Langer win two Masters titles.

"He has helped on the distance and I think 50 percent of what I have done is because of the caddie," Fudoh said through an interpreter.

Fudoh said she has no plans to move to the LPGA Tour in the United States.

"I don't think I have enough power to play on the LPGA, like physical condition," she said.

Ai Miyazato of Japan (68) is two shots back from Fudoh, then came two Americans, Cristie Kerr (70) and Juli Inkster (71), who are a further stroke back.

Inkster, who is aiming to win her eighth major a record 24 years after her first, started one shot behind Shin and Fudoh at 9 under. But she hit the front by pitching her second shot to within 8 feet of the flag at the first hole and making the eagle putt.

Aiming to become the oldest winner of a women's major at 48, she went close to an eagle at the second when she pitched out of the rough and the ball rolled just past the flag for a short birdie putt to go to 12 under. But Inkster lost her way soon after the turn, dropping shots at the 11th and 12th and at the 17th, where her 30-foot par putt shaved the hole. At the last, she missed a 4-foot birdie putt.

Inkster wants to go one better than the 53-year-old Greg Norman, who almost became the oldest winner of a men's major two weeks ago when he led the British Open at Turnberry with nine holes to play.

"I'm happy for what he did and he's a great player and he seems like the Greg Norman of old," Inkster said. "But I've got to go out there tomorrow and play golf and I don't think Greg Norman is going to help me around, so I have to do it on my own."

Defending champion Lorena Ochoa (71) also had a bad back nine to be five shots off the lead. Having picked up four shots before the turn to be one off the lead, the Mexican became wild off the tee, finding the rough at the 11th, 17th and 18th to drop three shots.