Nicholas forges ahead

Britain's Alison Nicholas took a two-shot lead into the final round of the Corning Classic in New York after hitting a six-under-par third-round 66 to overtake the leader, the American Pat Bradley.

The woman from Birmingham has never won on the LPGA Tour. Her best finish was second at Corning in 1993, when she lost on the first playoff hole after a final-round 65 to tie with Kelly Robbins.

On Saturday she climbed to the top of the leaderboard after bogeying the first by scoring seven birdies - four in the last nine holes. She almost had a hole-in-one on the third when the ball rolled on to the green and struck the pin.

Nicholas pulled level with a birdie at the sixth. And, at the 14th, moved ahead of Bradley with a 20ft downhill putt. Bradley, with only one bogey in the tournament, finished with 70.