CRISTIE KERR'S LPGA PLAYER OF YEAR CHANCE

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — Cristie Kerr was a high school teenager the last time an American woman accomplished what she has a chance to do Sunday.

Kerr, pictured, is making a move to become the first American in 16 years to win LPGA player of the year, trailing leader Amy Yang by three strokes entering the final round of the LPGA Tour Championship.

"Everybody can imagine how much it would mean to me and for American golf," Kerr said.

Kerr shot a 1-under 71 for the third straight round Saturday to put her in a tight pack at Grand Cypress Golf Club where anybody under par is in contention. She was the only one to shoot below par in all three rounds.
Kerr, 33, needs nothing short of victory to unseat points leader Yani Tseng. All that might take is another solid round of golf to become the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to claim the LPGA's most prestigious annual award.
"We also do need an American to win awards like player of the year and really start to bring the LPGA Tour back to the United States," Kerr said.
There's not many in her way.
Yang (73) has led all three rounds, Maria Hjorth (71) was one shot back of Yang and Seon Hwa Lee (73) was also tied with Kerr. Only five players were under par for the tournament.
"If you are under par, I still think there's a chance," Hjorth said.
This year's season finale isn't following the usual script.
For the first time in a decade, the player of the year award will be someone other than Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam now that both are retired. And since Ochoa bid farewell to the tour in May, the No. 1 ranking has shuffled nine times among three players - Jiyai Shin, Ai Miyazato and Kerr.
Five in the field had a chance to grab the honours - plus the Vare Trophy for the year's lowest scoring average - when the tournament began, and now Kerr is in prime position to take them all. Anything under par might be good enough again for the 2007 U.S. Women's Open champion
But only a victory would give Kerr enough to take player of the year honors from Tseng, who made the 54-hole cut on the number after shooting a 2-over 74 in the third round. Tseng is at 6 over for the tournament and doesn't sound too confident of earning the award.
"I think Cristie is gonna be winning the tournament to take this title," Tseng said.
That's because the American has been by far the most consistent in the field. She had three birdies but only two bogeys Saturday on a course where cold conditions and have made firm and fluctuating greens even faster.
Although after near-freezing temperatures the first two days, a picturesque day in the mid-60s made conditions ripe for low scores.

But it didn't happen.

Kerr saved par all day with big putts, including one from about 12 feet on the 17th hole to stay on the heels of the leaders. The tournament also had an additional cut after 54 holes to 34 players - the lowest 30 scores and ties - that gives Kerr and others near the top of the leaderboard an even better chance of holding off any major final-day pushes.

It also puts Kerr only 18 holes away from a monumental victory for American golf.

"I have to put the awards and all of those different things away and I just have to win (Sunday)," she said. "I have to win the day."
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72). Yardage 6,518
1 Amy Yang  67 70 73 210
2 Maria Hjorth  72 68 71 211
T3 Cristie Kerr  71 71 71 213
T3 Seon Hwa Lee  67 73 73 213
5 Laura Diaz  74 71 69 214
T6 In-Kyung Kim  73 73 70 216
T6 Morgan Pressel  73 69 74 216
T6 Katherine Hull 72 70 74 216
T9 Heather Bowie Young  73 73 71 217
T9 Ilhee Lee  75 70 72 217
T9 Na Yeon Choi 73 71 73 217
T9 Se Ri Pak 74 69 74 217
T13 Beatriz Recari 74 72 72 218
T13 Angela Stanford  73 72 73 218
T13 Song-Hee Kim 71 73 74 218
T16 Candie Kung 74 74 71 219
T16 Suzann Pettersen  73 73 73 219
T16 Chella Choi 73 71 75 219
T16 Mariajo Uribe  73 70 76 219
T16 Julieta Granada  69 72 78 219
T21 Christina Kim  75 72 73 220
T21 Amy Hung 74 71 75 220
T21 Kyeong Bae 73 70 77 220
T24 Mika Miyazato 79 70 72 221
T24 Giulia Sergas 75 73 73 221
T24 Juli Inkster  72 75 74 221
T24 Alena Sharp  76 71 74 221
T24 Gwladys Nocera 74 76 71 221
T29 Lisa Meldrum 75 73 74 222
T29 Yani Tseng 75 73 74 222
T29 Sandra Gal  75 73 74 222
T29 Mina Harigae  77 73 72 222
T29 Brittany Lincicome 75 71 76 222
T29 Taylor Leon  73 72 77 222
Missed the Third Round Cut
T35 Karin Sjodin 75 74 74 223
T35 Eun-Hee Ji 7 71 78 74 223
T35 Tania Elosegui  70 77 76 223
T35 Sun Young Yoo  76 75 72 223
T35 Ai Miyazato  80 72 71 223
T35 Paula Creamer  75 77 71 223
T41 Becky Morgan 73 76 75 224
T41 Stacy Prammanasudh  72 77 75 224
T41 Amanda Blumenherst 76 72 76 224
T41 Haeji Kang  76 74 74 224
T41 Kris Tamulis  76 71 77 224
T41 Brittany Lang  77 74 73 224
T47 Momoko Ueda  77 73 75 225
T47 Pernilla Lindberg 76 71 78 225
T47 Sophie Gustafson 75 75 75 225
T47 Leta Lindley  70 76 79 225
T47 Jennifer Rosales 73 77 75 225
T47 Anna Nordqvist  81 71 73 225
T53 Katie Futcher  76 73 77 226
T53 Silvia Cavalleri 76 73 77 226
T53 Allison Fouch  78 72 76 226
T53 Jimin Kang  74 76 76 226
T53 Louise Stahle  76 75 75 226
T53 Louise Friberg 74 78 74 226
T59 Michele Redman  76 74 77 227
T59 Jane Park 75 75 77 227
T59 Stephanie Louden 73 78 76 227
T59 Aree Song  77 75 75 227
T59 Hye Jung Choi 76 76 75 227
T64 M.J. Hur 79 70 79 228
T64 Moira Dunn  75 73 80 228
T64 Jiyai Shin  77 75 76 228
T64 Mi Hyun Kim 75 77 76 228
T68 Maria Hernandez 76 74 79 229
T68 Kristy McPherson  75 75 79 229
T68 Karine Icher  78 73 78 229
T68 Mhairi McKay 79 73 77 229
T72 Meaghan Francella 80 71 79 230
T72 Na On Min 76 76 78 230
T74 Sarah Lee 80 70 81 231
T74 Stacy Lewis 78 74 79 231