CLIFTON, N.J. — Lorena Ochoa said her own little goodbye to Annika Sorenstam.

The two-time defending champion shot a 5-under 67 yesterday and left the retiring Sorenstam in her wake after two rounds of the rain-shorted Sybase Classic.

Ochoa will enter today's final round of the now 54-hole tournament with a 9-under 135 total and a two-shot lead over third-year tour player Teresa Lu and veteran Sophie Gustafson. South Koreans H.J. Choi and Na Yeon Choi — no relation — were three behind.

Brittany Lang was four back and Sorenstam, who announced Tuesday that this would be her final year on the LPGA Tour, was five behind after a 1-over 73 that included a double bogey after hitting a tree on a par 5, and a bogey on her final hole.

"I don't need any more motivation," said Ochoa, looking for her sixth win of the year. "I am pretty motivated to win. And about Annika having all this time from the media, she deserves it. She knows I like to win, and I want to be on the top this year."

Ochoa has won 16 of 23 LPGA Tour events in which she has taken the lead into the final round, including all five this year and six in a row dating to last year.

"I am going to play tomorrow like I am three shots behind," Ochoa said. "I am going to be aggressive. I am going to try to make a lot of birdies. I win that way."

Sorenstam intends to follow her game plan, until she needs to be aggressive.

"She (Lorena) is playing steady golf," Sorenstam said. "I don't expect her to come back to the field. We have to catch her."

PGA TOUR

HOWELL LEADS AT&T; MCLACHLIN TIED FOR 14TH

DULUTH, Ga. — Charles Howell III shot a 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Kenny Perry after the third round of the AT&T Classic.

An Augusta native seeking his third PGA Tour victory and first since the 2007 Nissan Open, Howell had a 13-under 203 total at TPC Sugarloaf.

Perry shot a 69. David Toms (69), Ryan Palmer (70) and second-round leader Jonathan Byrd (73) were two strokes back at 11 under.

Honolulu's Parker McLachlin shot a 1-over-par 73 and is six shots behind Howell. McLachlin is tied for 14th at 7-under 209. Kane'ohe's Dean Wilson shot a 74 and is tied for 69th at 2 over 218.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

BEAN HAS ONE-SHOT LEAD OVER GOODES

HOOVER, Ala. — Andy Bean birdied the final hole to take a one-shot lead over Mike Goodes into the final round of the Champions Tour's Regions Charity Classic.

Bean capped a second-round 68 with a 15 1/2-foot birdie putt on the 7,356-yard Ross Bridge course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, moving to 11 under.

Goodes shot a 69. Loren Roberts and Denis Watson were two strokes behind after closing the gap with matching 66s. Leading money winner Bernhard Langer bogeyed the final hole for a 71 and was five shots off the lead, while two-time defending champion Brad Bryant (70) was nine shots behind.

EUROPEAN TOUR

DREDGE FIRES 66 TO LEAD IRISH OPEN BY ONE

ADARE, Ireland — Wales' Bradley Dredge shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over England's Richard Finch after the third round of the Irish Open.

Dredge, who lost to Padraig Harrington in a playoff last year at Adare Manor, had a 9-under 207 total. Finch, the New Zealand Open winner in December, shot a 65.