As she was enjoying her third straight outstanding round of golf in the LPGA Championship, Jenny Lidback didn't even sneak a peek at the leaderboard.
"I had no idea what anyone else was doing. I could have been in fourth place," she said. "I didn't know where I stood until a reporter told me I had a two-shot lead."Being ahead in any tournament, let alone a major, is not a familiar position for the unheralded Lidback. Yet her bogey-free 68 Saturday put her at 9-under 204 after three rounds of the prestigious tournament.
By day's end, Lidback learned that Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan and Cathy Johnston-Forbes were right underneath her name on the leaderboard.
"I didn't look because there's too much golf left," Lidback said. "I didn't think it was that important."
Certainly, Lidback had a right to smell the roses - if not look at the leaderboard. She has never finished higher than fifth place in any event and never higher than 68th on the money list during her five years on the tour.
Lidback moved ahead of the pack with a birdie on No. 3 and got successive birdies on Nos. 9 and 10 before finishing with eight straight pars.
The 30-year-old Lidback did not participate in any tournaments this year for a three-month stretch because of her non-exempt status. This is only her fifth event of the year, the fourth in four weeks.
The long break enabled her to work on her game, but most of all it provided her with too much free time.
"It's a bummer," Lidback said. "I practiced a lot, but I went crazy because I had too much time to think."
Sheehan and Johnston-Forbes both shot 70s. Sheehan blew a 5-foot par putt on No. 16, but birdied 18 to move back into second place. Her scrambling round included four birdies and three bogeys.
She will be paired with Lidback in the final twosome Sunday.
"Jenny's playing well enough to win," Sheehan said. "I think she's the best player out there, but there are a lot of players who can win this tournament. It should be a very interesting day tomorrow."
Johnston-Forbes moved into second place with an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 13. She saved par on No. 18 with a 20-foot putt.
Johnston-Forbes hadn't done better than a tie for 49th and had missed five cuts before getting married in late May. Since then, she tied for 12th in the Corning Classic and tied for 29th in last week's Oldsmobile Classic.
"I have played a lot better since I got married," she said.
Barb Bunkowsky shot a 69 for a 207 total, while Cindy Rarick, Patti Rizzo and Cindy Figg-Currier were at 208.
Defending champion Betsy King finished at 210.