Yani Tseng's grip on the Kraft Nabisco Championship was loosened by strong winds and superb play by Swede Karin Sjodin in Saturday's third round in Rancho Mirage, California.
The Taiwanese world number one, hunting her sixth major victory, ended a challenging day at Mission Hills by carding a one-under-par 71 to hold a share of the lead with Sjodin, who fired a 68.
Tseng, who has triumphed three times in just five starts on the LPGA Tour this season, began the round a stroke in front and had to settle for a nine-under total of 207 after narrowly missing a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-five last.
The long-hitting Sjodin, seeking her first win on the U.S. circuit, surged to the top of the leaderboard by mixing five birdies with a lone bogey as winds gusted up to 25 mph in the California desert.
South Korea's Kang Haeji was alone in third place at seven under after returning a 72 in the penultimate round of the first women's major of the year.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Larry Fine)
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