Thompson bounces into lead

Lexi Thompson was going for the green in two with her approach on the 18th hole. She got there with a fortunate ricochet, and grabbed a share of the lead in the LPGA’s North Texas Shootout in Irving.

Thompson hit a screamer well left of the green on the closing par-5 in the third round Saturday. The ball struck the front facing of a grandstand and ricocheted onto the green, skimming just over the top of a bunker.

“I wouldn’t say I was trying to nail that grandstand,” Thompson chuckled after a round of 3under-par 68.

Thompson shared the lead at 9-under 204 with 2013 North Texas winner Inbee Park, who shot 69. Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old Canadian who had the second-round lead, shot a 71 to drop into a tie for third at 8-under with KarrieWebb (64) and FortWorth resident Angela Stanford (67).

Los Altos resident Juli Inkster (73) was in a group of eight players five strokes off the lead. World No. 1 Lydia Ko, 18, who won at Lake Merced last Sunday, shot a 70 to get even for the week. Four-Ball at Olympic Club: Stanford sophomores Maverick McNealy and Viraat Badhwar teamed to shoot 6-underpar 64 to take the lead in stroke-play qualifying in the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

McNealy and Badhwar played the Ocean Course on Saturday and will move to the Lake Course on Sunday. The teams of Tim Tucker/Kyle Crawford and Jordan Nasser/ TaylorWood are tied for second after posting a 65.

Tim Mickelson/Jake Yount are among those tied for 17th at 68. Mickelson is the brother of Phil Mickelson. Thirty-two of the 128 teams in the field will advance to singleelimination match play starting Monday. Champions Tour: Hillsborough native Michael Allen birdied the final two holes for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands, Texas.