"I had the stupidest three-putt in my life at the second hole," Wie said. "I saw the downhill but still putted hard."

On Thursday, she had five three-putts. Wie is at 2-over 218, 18 strokes behind Sorenstam entering today's final round.

The 14-year-old's travails on the notoriously tricky Evian greens continued at the fourth hole, where she came out of the right greenside bunker but missed the putt.

Wie three-putted from more than 24 feet at the fifth, then hit an overcooked chip from the fringe rough at the next hole to put her 4-over for the day.

"I just had no confidence in my putting," Wie confessed. "These last two days, I've had no feel."

In a display of cool, controlled play, the world No. 1 rattled off seven birdies on an unblemished card to put her three shots clear of overnight leader Karen Stupples, fell into second.

"What can I say? I hit a lot of good irons and was solid all day," said Sorenstam, who had five birdie putts from inside four feet. "Even when I made a mistake I was able to make par."

Heavy rain fell as the last group played the last two holes. Sorenstam drove into the left rough at the par-5 18th, got her 9-iron grabbed by the wet grass and only advanced the ball 74 yards. With 170 yards to the pin, the 33-year-old Swede then flighted a 7-iron to two inches from the hole and tapped in her seventh birdie.