HALF MOON BAY, California: Paula Creamer birdied her final three holes to shoot a 4-under 68 for the three-day lead heading into the final round of the Samsung World Championship on Saturday.

Angela Stanford led for much of the day but hurt herself with two double-bogeys on the back nine before birdies on the final two holes for a 3-under 69 to stay one stroke back at 5-under 211 going into Sunday.

Australian Katherine Hull hit an eagle on No 4 and also birdied 18 for a 69 to stay within two strokes of the lead on a day when birdies were hard to come by for everybody in the elite 20-player field. “It’s not a birdie-fest out there by any means,” Creamer said.

“I’ve never seen a scoreboard go up and down so much in a tournament. Early on people have been starting off so well and haven’t been able to finish, she added.

Two-time defending Samsung champion and world No 1 Lorena Ochoa shot a 70 and is two strokes off the lead with a 4-under 212. She narrowly missed several birdie putts while watching Stanford come up big frequently with accuracy in both her short and long games.

They played a fast-paced front nine minus the changing wind that was sucha nuisance on Friday. “I’m putting very well,” said Stanford, who made a 25-footer for birdie on the par-3 ninth.

“If you can get the ball rolling and putt well out here, you can make some birdies,” she added. Creamer, who had birdied only No 7 before her strong finish, played solid par golf all day and didn’t have a bogey. She would like nothing more than to capture the $250,000 winner’spurse while playing near her hometown of Pleasanton.

Five times out of nine Creamer has gone on to win after leading entering the final day, including twice this year. Juli Inkster (68) jumped up the leaderboard and for a short time got to 4-under after going 5-under with five birdies for the day through the first 10 holes. She had bogeys on No 12, 13 and 15 to go to 3-under 213 for the tournament.

Also three strokes back is Suzann Pettersen after she shot a 69. Stanford followed her double-eagle from a day earlier with another strong round. The 30-year-old Stanford, bothered on most shots on Friday by a troublesome left shoulder, was clearly relaxed and enjoying herself — while Ochoa appeared frustrated at times during her round on the Half Moon Bay Golf Links’ Ocean Course.

Ochoa bogeyed No 1 and then her tee shot on the second hole sailed left into the soggy rough. She chipped out of it to five feet of the cup and made the birdie putt, pumping her right fist as the gallery roared. But Ochoa didn’t have many of those.

Ochoa likes her position after a tough back nine on Friday cost her the lead. Last week marked her seventh victory of the year and first since May. She had been winless in seven starts after opening the year with six wins in nine events, including four straight.

Ochoa has come from behind to win five times in her career, most recently at the 2007 Sybase Classic in which she trailed by two strokes but shot a final-round 68 to win by three strokes.