From Beacon Journal wire services

Paula Creamer acknowledges she often lets her emotions get the better of her.

On Saturday, she vowed to be steady and keep her head in check.

It paid off as Creamer birdied the final three holes for a 4-under 68 and a 1-stroke lead over Angela Stanford in the Samsung World Championship in Half Moon Bay, Calif.

''Yesterday, my attitude and my mannerisms got me in trouble,'' Creamer said.

The Californian had a 6-under 210 total.

Stanford led for much of the day but hurt herself with two double bogeys on the back nine. She birdied the final two holes for a 69.

Australian Katherine Hull eagled No. 4 and birdied 18 for a 69 to stay within 2 strokes of the lead on a day when birdies were hard to come by for everybody in the elite 20-player field.

''It's not a birdie-fest out there, by any means,'' Creamer said. ''I've never seen a scoreboard go up and down so much in a tournament. Early on, people have been starting off so well and haven't been able to finish.''

Two-time defending Samsung champion Lorena Ochoa shot a 70, leaving her 2 strokes behind. She's seeking her eighth victory of the year and wants to take advantage of her powerful long game on the course's five par 5s today.

Players hit through a light drizzle at times on a cool fall day in the Bay Area but the rain never lasted for long.

Creamer, who had birdied only No. 7 before her strong finish, played solid par golf all day and didn't have a bogey. She would like nothing more than to capture the $250,000 winner's purse while playing near her hometown of Pleasanton. Five times out of nine, Creamer has gone on to win after leading entering the final day, including twice this year.

More golf: Ridings, Howell share lead

• Tag Ridings missed a short par putt on the final hole to fall into a tie with Charles Howell III for the third-round lead in the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, N.Y., the second of seven Fall Series events. Ridings (71), winless in 130 starts on the PGA Tour, finished with a 1-under 71 to match Howell (69) at 8-under 208. Jeff Overton (73), who led both the first and second rounds by 1 shot, was tied for third at 7 under with Brian Davis (69), Jason Day (71) and Kyle Thompson (69).

• Sweden's Jarmo Sandelin shot an event-par 72 and Germany's Martin Kaymer had a 72, both at Carnoustie, to share the third-round lead after another wet and windy day in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland. Sandelin and Kaymer had 6-under 210 totals. Sweden's Magnus Carlsson (73) was a stroke behind.

• South Korea's Kim Wi-joong shot a 2-under 69 to take a 1-stroke lead after the third round of the Korea Open in Seoul, South Korea. Kim had a 10-under 203 total. American Anthony Kim (67), Englishman Ian Poulter (69) and South Koreans Bae Sang-moon (67) and Kim Dae-sub (69) were tied for second.

Tennis: Berdych upsets Roddick

• Andy Roddick was upset by Tomas Berdych 6-7 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the semifinals of the Japan Open in Tokyo, ending his bid for a second consecutive title in Asia. The ninth-seeded Berdych will face fifth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in today's final. Del Potro defeated No. 4 Richard Gasquet 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the other semifinal. Roddick, coming off a win at the China Open last Sunday, broke Berdych to take a 2-0 lead in the final set and looked set for another trip to the finals after building a 5-2 lead.

• Venus Williams lost 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2 to soon-to-be No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, who overcame a foot injury to advance to the final of the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Jankovic will play Nadia Petrova today for the title. Petrova beat Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-4 in the other semifinal. Top-ranked Serena Williams lost earlier in the week, and will drop in the rankings Monday. Jankovic broke a toenail on her left foot and needed two painkiller shots before taking the court. Jankovic will be aiming for her second tournament title in two weeks. She is coming off a win at the China Open.

Other: Crew defeat Galaxy, Beckham

• Alejandro Moreno scored his career-best ninth goal of the season and the Columbus Crew beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 in David Beckham's Crew Stadium debut. Columbus (16-6-5) solidified its hold on first place in the Eastern Conference. It has an MLS-best 53 points, with eight wins in its last 10 games. Los Angeles (7-12-8) has the fewest points in MLS.

• Receiver Chris Henry was activated by the Cincinnati Bengals, setting up a possible matchup with Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam ''Pacman'' Jones, a former college teammate. The Bengals released running back Kenny Watson to open a roster spot for Henry.

• Deweycheatumnhowe took the third jewel of trotting's triple crown with a victory in the $684,000 Kentucky Futurity at the Red Mile in Lexington, Ky. The victory was the 21st in 23 lifetime starts for Deweycheatumnhowe. He has more than $3 million in earnings.