Creamer 2 clear in Williamsburg
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Paula Creamer posted a steady, 6-under 65 on Saturday to move to the top of the leaderboard after the third round of The Kingsmill Championship.
Creamer finished 54 holes at 16-under 197 and is two clear of former world No. 1 and second-round leader Jiyai Shin, who managed a 2-under 69 Saturday at Kingsmill Resort.
Dewi Claire Schreefel (69) and Danielle Kang (70) share third at 12-under 201.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sunday could be a huge day for Creamer.
She will be going for her 10th career title on the LPGA Tour and first since the 2010 U.S. Women's Open. That was also the last time she carried the lead into the final round.
"I can't get too far ahead of myself," Creamer said in a televised interview. "It's all about confidence and right now I have a great swing thought and I'm just going to try and keep it going."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Creamer began the round two behind Shin and played brilliantly early. She birdied three in a row from the third and when her 15-footer for birdie at five fell, she was tied for the lead with Schreefel.
All of the leaders made pars it seemed around the turn, but Creamer was the first to pull ahead. She ran home a 20-foot birdie putt at the 11th and Shin got within one with a birdie of her own at 11.
Creamer missed the green at 13, but chipped in for birdie. Shin made back-to- back birdies at 11 and 12 to stay within one stroke of Creamer's lead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Creamer padded her margin at the par-5 15th. She laid up with her second, then knocked her third to 6 feet. She poured in the birdie putt to move two clear and stayed that far ahead when both her and Shin parred their way into the clubhouse.
"I hit a lot of great shots today. I played really solid," Creamer explained on TV. "I played solid, made putts when I needed to and gave myself a lot of looks."
Shin, who also hasn't won on the LPGA Tour since 2010, played poorly early with bogeys at two and four. Back-to-back birdies at eight and nine got her back into the mix and the consecutive birdies at 10 and 11 got her into second.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Shin had a chance to get within one of Creamer's lead but her decent look at birdie on 18 never came close.
Stacy Lewis, the No. 2 ranked player in the world, shot a 3-under 68 on Saturday and is tied for fifth with Ai Miyazato (67) and Azahara Munoz (69). The trio is knotted at 11-under par.
Catriona Matthew (66) and Hee Young Park (67) share eighth at minus-10.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NOTES: This is the 14th time Creamer has owned at least a piece of the third- round lead on tour ... She won eight of her previous 13 times and five of her last six.