ASSOCIATED PRESS Michelle Wie lined up a putt on the seventh hole yesterday at the Evian Masters. Wie posted her best score of the week, a 68.

Wie improves but loses
ground on Creamer

EVIAN, France » Michelle Wie continued her ascent up the Evian Masters leaderboard yesterday, but her rise this week is nothing compared to Paula Creamer's.

While Wie, a 15-year-old from Hawaii, shot a 68 in yesterday's third round to move into a tie for ninth, Creamer, an 18-year-old from California, took sole possession of the lead with a 66 and finished the day ahead of the field by seven strokes.

Karine Icher and Laura Davies were tied for second entering today's final round.

World No. 1 Annika Sorenstam carded a 72 and sits eight strokes back.

Wie finally converted some of the birdie chances she has had this week. She birdied the second hole, had a triple-bogey 7 at No. 4, then made six birdies in eight holes starting at the sixth before parring the five closing holes.

"It went good, very bad, very good, then sort of OK, " Wie said. "Like having all four seasons in one day."

Wie's triple-bogey came when she hit a flyer through the green out of the left rough. She chipped on and then three-putted.

"Painful," she said. "I gave myself a lot of great chances," Wie said. "Tomorrow I'll make everything, I promise you."

Wie fired her new Irish caddie Brian Smallwood after the first round and her father, B.J., is now on her bag.

"I usually see him in the crowd. It's nice to see him get all excited when I play well," Wie said.

Despite her large lead, Creamer, who is poised to claim her second title in her rookie season, was not counting this event as won just yet.

"Tomorrow it will be like everybody's starting out at zero," Creamer said. "I'll aim to get the lead as big as possible as quickly as possible."

Creamer, known for wearing something pink every time she plays, won the Sybase Classic two months ago and is fourth on the LPGA money list with $739,650.

"But when I won the Sybase I was a shot back going into Sunday," Creamer said. "Here I've got seven shots. I feel good with that."

Sorenstam knows she has a tough final-round task.

"I've got to play a real good round, a 64 or maybe even better, to give myself a chance tomorrow," she said. "Paula played great today and I didn't make anything."

Lorie Kane of Canada also shot a 66, leaving her nine behind the leader, tied with Karrie Webb (71) and overnight co-leader Christina Kim (75).