As CBS begins its three-hour coverage window at noon PDT, Cristie Kerr leads at -9 with Kristy McPherson and Brittany Lincicome tied for second at -7 while Meaghan Francella is fourth at -5.  Jimin Kang and Christina Kim just bogeyed 9 to fall into a tie for fifth at -4 with Suzann Pettersen and Lindsey Wright.

12:10pm - McPherson chipped in for birdie at 9 to draw within one.  Lincicome played a beautiful third to about five feet and made the putt to hang right with her.  Kerr had a birdie opp from about 12 but missed it right.

My man Verne Lundquist has the considerable assistance of both Judy Rankin and Beth Daniel to guide him through his annual LPGA experience this afternoon.

12:17pm - The first players are finishing up.  Sun Young Yoo fired the low round so far this week, a 66, with 31 on the back nine and an eagle at 18.  Good news for those needing to make a run on the back nine.

12:20pm - McPherson and Kerr make great approaches at 10 but Lincicome finds the bunker short of the green.

12:27pm - McPherson made her 20-footer to tie for the lead.  Kerr missed her 15-footer to the left.  Lincicome had blasted to four feet and made her par putt.

As of 12:30pm PDT, the top three seem to have the event in hand.  The board looks like this:

-9  McPherson, Kerr -8  Lincicome -5  Francella, Kang -4  Pettersen, Wright, C Kim

No sooner had I posted that board when Lindsey Wright chips in for birdie at 11 to reach -5.

12:38pm - Christina had 8 feet for birdie at 11 but missed it just right.  McPherson and Kerr layed up at that par-5 by choice, Lincicome was forced to because she was blocked by a tree down the right side.  CBS just showed that commercial with great Masters finishes.  That Ben Crenshaw final putt where he puts his head in his hands breaking down gets me every time.

12:43pm - Actually, Wright's chip-in at 11 was for eagle so she is -6.  All three leaders are within 15 feet after three shots at 11. 

12:48pm - Kerr missed her birdie try left.  Lincicome did the same.  McPherson had only about four feet but lipped it on the right edge.

1:10pm - Sorry, interrupted by a phone call.  Lincicome bogeyed 12 when she couldn't get up and down from a greenside bunker.  McPherson had 15 feet for birdie and didn't make it.  As they play 13, the board looks like this:

-9  McPherson, Kerr -7  Lincicome -6  Wright -5  Francella, Kang -4  Pettersen, C Kim

1:13pm - It figures - I said a while ago that Kerr was in control, she pars every hole since and she gets caught by three McPherson birdies.  Now she's snookered behind the trees off the 13th fairway.  I love this game!

1:17pm - Kerr punched out and played her third right over the flag to about 15 feet.  Lincicome is pretty close for birdie.  McPherson was in a tough angle on the left side and punched it up to the right fringe.

1:20pm - Michele Redman aced 17!  She's at -1 now, flirting with a Top 10.

1:26pm - McPherson ran her birdie putt six feet by at 13.  Kerr's attempt trickled by on the right side.  Lincicome missed her right-hand slider on the low side.  McPherson missed the comebacker to the right.  Kerr saved her par to stay at -9 and now leads by one.  Oops, Kerr's putt was for bogey so she is still tied for the lead with McPherson.  Did Cristie have to take an unplayable while I was on the phone?

1:38pm - At the par-3 14th, Lincicome two-putted from 30 feet.  McPherson missed her 20-footer left.  Kerr rolled home her five-footer to take the lead.

1:43pm - At 15, disaster - Kerr's tee shot went way left.  She played a provisional and it appears her first went OB.

1:55pm - McPherson landed her approach on the green.  Lincicome came up short.  Kerr could not find her original ball and played her fourth to six feet.  Brittany chipped way short as her ball checked up in the fringe.  Kerr missed her putt, taking double and falling to -7.  Lincicome drained her par putt from at least 15 feet (huge!).  McPherson two-putted and is now your leader.

1:56pm - Suddenly Lindsey Wright is in the hunt at -6 and her tee shot at 17 curled around to within ten feet.  The board:

-8  McPherson -7  Lincicome, Kerr -6  Wright -5  Pettersen (F), Francella

2:08pm - At 16, McPherson's approach wound up in the right rough just off the green.  Kerr landed on the left side of the green.  The final group is on the clock and the CBS crew doesn't like it.  Wright was only five feet away at 17 but she missed it right.  Kerr's birdie try from 25+ just missed left.  McPherson chipped short to about six feet.  Lincicome missed her birdie try badly right from 15 feet.  McPherson drained her par putt.  Brittany made the three-footer she had left.

2:13pm - Two holes to go and a one-shot lead for McPherson.  Wright's tee shot at 18 found the left rough.  Francella just finished at -5.  The final group is now off the clock (didn't take too long to catch up).  Lincicome's tee shot at 17 wound up very close to where Wright just was.  McPherson hit the pin ala Michele Redman and the ball stopped about 4-5 feet away.  Kerr rolled hers up to about six feet.  What a trio of shots by the three leaders!

2:20pm - How's about a putting contest at 17 with an LPGA major in the balance.  Kerr up first, missed right and tapped in.  McPherson next, also missed it right and tapped in.  Lincicome last, to tie for the lead, missed it left and ran by over three feet.  Wright's third at 18 checked up about 20 feet short.  Brittany made her par.

2:26pm - So it comes down to the par-5 18th, which we just found out Juli Inkster hates.  Brittany blasted it down the fairway, prompting the announcers to speculate she might go for the green in two.  McPherson played hers down the right side, into the first cut.  Kerr drove right, deep into the rough.  The latter two will definitely be laying up.  We saw Ochoa reach the green earlier and chip-in for eagle - will Lincicome attempt it?

2:31pm - McPherson layed up perfectly.  Ahead at the green, Wright left her downhill birdie try a foot short and finished at -6.  Kerr played to the left side near the end of the layup area.  Lincicome had 210 left to the hole and went for it.  She landed center of the green and the ball curled around and back down to four feet.  Unbelievable.

2:35pm - That great shot all but eliminated Kerr, who now needs to hole her third to tie assuming Brittany makes eagle.  McPherson's third checked up 25 feet short of the hole.  From 88 yards, Kerr missed by two inches rolling her third into the hole and it trickled down the hill to the fringe about 20 feet away.  This is absolutely terrific stuff!

2:40pm - McPherson rolled it great but it missed just right.  Needing to make and hope Lincicome would miss, Kerr putted back up the hill and drilled it!  Can this get any better?

2:42pm - Brittany made her putt to win by one shot over Kerr and McPherson, by three over Wright.  What a finish!