Monday, June 5 2006 16:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Galloway Township: Japan's Ai Miyazato grabbed a one-shot lead at the Shoprite Classic on Saturday, but to claim her first US LPGA crown she will have to hold off her idol, Annika Sorenstam.

Miyazato fired her second straight 5-under-par 66 for a second-round total of 132, one shot better than the Swedish superstar.

The two will play together in the final round of the 54-hole, 1.4 million-dollar event. "She is my idol. She has been my idol and she is a player that I admire and someone I look up to all the time," Miyazato said.

"The last time I played with her was at the British Open. I am looking forward to it," she said.

Miyazato entered Saturday two shots off the lead and got off to a slow start with a bogey at the second.

She bounced back with consecutive birdies and added four more on her round, including a one-foot tap-in on the par-5 18th hole of the 6,071-yard Seaview Resort and Spa Bay Course.

"I really wanted to sink that birdie putt on 18," Miyazato said.

"(Sunday) it will be my second time playing in the final group and I'll be nervous, but I know I will have a great time," she said.

Sorenstam is unlikely to be rattled, having played in the final group it seems just about every week. What remains to be seen is whether or not she can regain her usual dominant form.

After dominating the LPGA Tour at this time last season by winning four of her first six events, Sorenstam has been solid but unspectacular this year with just one victory and four top-six finishes thus far.

Continuing her bid to repeat as champion here, Sorenstam entered the second round tied for the lead.

One of only two three-time winners of this event - Hall of Famer Betsy King is the other - Sorenstam carded a 69 on Saturday with five birdies and three bogeys.

She also bogeyed the second, where she missed a six-footer for par. But she picked up shots with birdies at the fourth and fifth.

As often has been the case this season, however, Sorenstam was unable to build on the momentum and carded back-to-back bogeys at six seven.

Sorenstam closed the front nine with a birdie to start a run of three straight.

"I'm OK with the round, but it wasn't the greatest round," Sorenstam said.

"I felt like I played a little better but had a lot of putts that didn't go in, especially on the front nine. But then I had a good back nine, so that's good," she said.

Laura Diaz (69), Seon Hwa Lee (69) and Sherri Steinhauer (66) were tied for third at eight-under 134.