American compatriot Paul Creamer is one shot adrift of the 23-year old Lewis at the major championship.

Lewis moved to a nine-under 210 total, one stroke ahead of fellow Creamer (69), with Swede Helen Alfredsson (71) and South Korean Inbee Park (71) two shots behind.

Halfway leader Angela Park, of Brazil, shot 75 to slide five shots off the lead, while Annika Sorenstam left herself a steep hill to climb, seven strokes off the pace after a frustrating day on the greens.

"I'm about to cry," said Sorenstam, a three-time Open champion. "I cannot hit the ball any better and I really don't know what to do."

Lewis has endured a long and painful road to this position. At 11, she was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, and she had to wear a hard plastic brace 18 hours a day for the next seven years.

However, that did not correct her problem, so at 18 she had major surgery, a rod and five screws inserted into her back.

"It was very serious," she said. "When I found out I had to have surgery, I thought I was done playing golf forever. I was crying, because I just wanted to play college golf.

"I had to wear a brace for another three months while I was recovering from the surgery, and then I couldn't bend or twist for six months, or lift more than five pounds."

But the surgery was successful and her back, while not perfect, stood up to the rigours of a successful college career at Arkansas.

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