Aug26 Barclays day 3

Steve Stricker kept pouring in birdies at The Barclays until he had the lead to himself, and it wasn’t long before an electronic scoreboard projected Stricker atop the PGA Tour Playoffs.

At the moment, Stricker isn’t the least bit worried about the four-event FedEx Cup or its $10 million prize.

All the 40-year-old American wants is a trophy.

In a season of blown opportunities, Stricker gave himself the best chance yet Saturday with a 6-under-par 65 that allowed him to pass K.J. Choi of South Korea and take a one-shot lead into today’s final round at Westchester Country Club.

Stricker has either been tied or one shot off the lead during the last round of four tournaments this year — two of them majors — yet is searching for his first victory since 2001.

“One of these times, it’s going to come out in my favor,” said Stricker, whose 14-under 199 tied the 54-hole tournament record.

Not since the 1996 Western Open has Stricker had the outright lead entering the last round.

“I haven’t been beating myself up about not winning any of those events, but obviously, I would like to win,” Stricker said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve won, and I’m just going to try to bring as many positive thoughts to the table tomorrow as I can.”

That won’t make winning any easier.

Choi lost control of his fade shot off the tee along the back nine, but a birdie-birdie finish enabled him to salvage a 70.

Hunter Mahan shot a 62 that took him from the middle of the pack to two shots behind the leader.

Ochoa surges to lead

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa of Mexico leads by a stroke entering today’s final round of the Safeway Classic, after two bogeys to wrap up her round narrowed an advantage over Sophie Gustafson of Sweden in the LPGA Tour event.

Ochoa, who has won two straight tournaments, had eight birdies earlier in her round that helped her finish with a 66, putting her at 11-under 133 after two rounds at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

“I struggled with my rhythm, I think, on the back and just kept missing fairways,” Ochoa said. “I missed 10, 11, and 17 and 18. So I got in trouble, you know? I guess it was just meant to happen, making bogeys after missing those fairways. But I’m still feeling good.”

Gustafson shot a 68.

Honolulu’s Michelle Wie, 17, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, shot a 75 and missed the cut.

“I felt comfortable off the tee today but I couldn’t covert it into scores,” Wie said.

Wendy Ward (72), who lives near Edwall, outside Spokane, was tied for 28th place at 144. Paige Mackenzie (72), a former Washington Huskies standout, was tied for 40th at 145.

Jimin Kang (79), a graduate of King’s High School in Shoreline, had a 152 total and failed to make the cut.

Pro notes

• England’s David Carter (71) shared the third-round lead with England’s Ross Fisher (68) and New Zealand’s Steve Alker (69) in the KLM Open, a European Tour event in Zaandvoort, Netherlands. They were at 9-under 201.

• Colt Knost plays in today’s final of the U.S. Amateur Championship in Daly City, Calif., and has a chance to match a double accomplished by Ryan Moore in 2004.

Knost will face Michael Thompson of the University of Alabama for the title. Knost won the U.S. Public Links title earlier this year. Moore is the lone player to win the Amateur and the Public Links in the same year.

“People tell me all the time how Ryan Moore is the only guy that’s done it in the same year,” Knost said. “He’s a great player, and I’d love to be up there with him.”

• Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam announced she is getting married to Mike McGee, her boyfriend of two years.

It will be the second marriage for Sorenstam, 36, who filed for divorce from David Esch in February 2005.