Golf : Pettersen birdies last four holes to tie defending champ Ochoa

Suzann Pettersen, coming off a playoff victory over Lorena Ochoa last weekend, birdied the final four holes Saturday to charge into a tie with the top-ranked Mexican star in the Samsung World Championship at Palm Desert, Calif.

Pettersen shot an 8-under-par 64 to match Ochoa at 12-under 204 through three rounds at Big Horn Golf Club.

Ochoa, the defending champion in the event for the LPGA Tour’s elite players, had a 69 that included a bogey 5 on the final hole. Pettersen already had finished her round, and thought she probably would be one shot off Ochoa’s lead heading into the final day.

Pettersen missed a 15-footer for par on the second hole for her only bogey.

Pettersen, who began the day five strokes back, rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 1 for the first of her nine birdies.

PGA

Rookie George McNeill quietly took over sole possession of the lead in the Frys.com Open in Las Vegas.

McNeill shot the day’s low round at 5-under 67 on a tough scoring day at TPC Summerlin, making birdies on four of his last eight holes to retain the top spot on the leaderboard with a 13-under 197 and a five-stroke lead heading into today’s final round.

World Match Play

U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera will play Ernie Els in the final of the World Match Play Championship today at Virginia Water, England.

Six-time champion Els didn’t lead until the 25th hole against Henrik Stenson of Sweden, but the South African then rolled to a 3-and-2 victory at Wentworth. Cabrera never trailed Hunter Mahan, but faced a fight from the American before winning 2 and 1.

Champions Tour

Bernhard Langer shot a 7-under 65, easily erasing an early bogey with eight birdies, to maintain a four-shot lead after the second round of the Administaff Small Business Classic at Spring, Texas.