Hull calm after the storm

The Australian Katherine Hull returned from a two-hour thunderstorm delay to birdie the final hole and open up a two-stroke lead with a round to go in the HSBC Women's Champions event in Singapore. Hull, winner of the Australian Masters by five shots last month, fired a third-round 66 to move onto the 11-under-par total of 205. The American Angela Stanford, also with one title under her belt already this season, matched Hull's round to move into second place, while the overnight leaders Paula Creamer and Jane Park managed only 72 and 73 respectively. Creamer is now fifth and Park joint sixth in a group which also includes the world number one and defending champion Lorena Ochoa and the 48-year-old Juli Inkster.

Hull, resuming one behind, birdied three of the first five holes and after a bogey on the next added four more birdies. Stanford, who in Hawaii last month denied Michelle Wie her first LPGA victory, picked up six birdies to make up for double-bogeying the 18th in round two. Creamer mixed four birdies with four bogeys, the last of them on the final hole, while Park had a battle on her hands from the moment she bogeyed two of the opening four. As on the opening day Ochoa did not drop a stroke, but managed only three birdies to fall six adrift. *PA Sport