Sweden's Annika Sorenstam leads by two shots after carding a third-round 69 in the US Women's Open at Prairie Dunes in Kansas.

The world number one is the only player under par on 208, ahead of Americans Juli Inkster and Jill McGill.

Britain's Laura Davies had a joint-best score of day 68 to move up to joint seventh on 216.

Sorenstam said: "I did a lot of things right today, but this is a very tough course and anything can still happen tomorrow.

The 31-year-old moved ahead with birdies at the fifth and seventh in a flawless outward half.

She dropped shots at the 12th and 14th, but a three at the par four 16th put her clear.

Inkster dropped a shot at the last for a 71, while McGill, who began her career in Europe and has never won in six years on the LPGA circuit, had a 69.

Triple bogey

Davies, who made the cut with just a shot to spare after opening rounds of 75 and 73, stormed through the field thanks to a spree of four birdies in a row from the fourth.

Despite dropping a couple of shots on the back nine Davies was happy with her performance.

"It was an incredible run at the start and just what I needed to get back into things," she said.

"It's just a pity that I let it slip a little coming home."

Davies currently lies in 15th place at six over par, nine shots off the pace.

Janice Moodie maintained her place as the leading Briton after moving into joint sixth place with a 71, despite triple-bogey at the fifth.

The unfortunate seven was the result of a lost ball from a pulled drive and a bunkered approach with her provisional ball.

Leading third round scores from Women's US Open:

208 Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 70 69 69
210 Jill McGill 71 70 69, Juli Inkster 67 72 71
211 Shani Waugh (Aus) 67 73 71
213 Michele Redman 71 69 73
214 Janice Moodie (Gbr) 71 72 71
215 Lynette Brooky 73 73 69, Lorie Kane (Can) 69 77 69, Carin Koch (Swe) 73 72 70
216 Stephanie Keever 72 71 73, Laura Diaz 67 72 77, Liselotte Neumann (Swe) 72
74 70, Mi Hyun Kim (Kor) 74 72 70, Mhairi McKay (Gbr) 70 75 71, Susan Ginter 74 72 70, Laura Davies (Gbr) 75 73 68
217 Cindy Schreyer 70 74 73, Michelle Ellis 71 71 75, Beth Bauer 74 72 71, Rosie Jones 71 77 69, Se Ri Pak (Kor) 74 75 68, Cristie Kerr 74 71 72, Sherri Turner 73 71 73
218 Rachel Teske 75 71 72, Raquel Carriedo (Spa) 75 71 72, Beth Daniel 71 76 71, Amy Fruhwirth 76 71 71, Danielle Ammaccapane 74 71 73, Donna Andrews 74 74 70, Kelli Kuehne 70 76 72