Danielle Ammaccapane didn't realize what Cathy Johnston-Forbe was doing to the Randolph Park North course on Saturday.
Ammaccapane countered the challenge anyway by shooting a 6-under-par 66 to open a two-stroke in the Ping-Welch's Championship.With three birdies in the last four holes of the third round, Ammaccapane reached 12-under 204.
Johnston-Forbes had a 65 with a two-bogey, nine-birdie round that included five birdies on the last six holes. She was second at 206.
Two shots separated Johnston-Forbes from second-round co-leader Patty Sheehan, Dale Eggeling and Liselotte Neumann, who eagled the last hole.
Mardi Lunn and Kris Tschetter were at 210, with Michelle McGann, Hiromi Kobayashi, Annika Sorenstam, Sherri Turner, 1992 Tucson champion Brandie Burton and Karrie Webb, this year's money leader, one shot behind them and seven shots off the pace.
McGann, who shared the lead with Sheehan, lost four shots to par in three holes when she bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11 and double-bogeyed No. 12. She finished with a 74.
Dottie Pepper, who won this tournament last year, was in the next group of eight at 212.
Johnston-Forbes, a one-time winner (1990) in a career that began in 1986, has made the cut in her three tournaments this year, but won just $1,617 (95th) in the first two after fading to 59th- and 66th-place ties. This time, she complicated her round with bogeys on the first and fifth holes.
By the time she reached the 13th green, she was four shots behind Ammaccapane, who went 9-under on No. 7 and then recorded seven straight pars. But Johnston-Forbes, playing an hour ahead of the leaders, put on a remarkable surge - birdies on Nos. 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18 - to match her career-low score.
She held sole possession of the lead after a 2-foot birdie putt at No. 18.
But Ammaccapane made a 23-foot birdie putt on No. 16, a 15-footer on No. 16, and two-putted from 60 feet on No. 18 for her sixth birdie of the round.