Rankin likes to let her game do the talking

Reilley Rankin hits out of the sand trap on hole No. 7 where she bogeyed.

Reilley Rankin, a nonwinner in her third year on the LPGA Tour, admits she is shy.

"The golf course is probably my comfort zone," she said. "I try to speak from the heart, and when it's just me and my friends and I can be myself, everything is OK.

"But I'll be the first to admit I need to have better interview skills. It's sort of new to me. I'm not very good. I know I have to get better."

Rankin has received plenty of practice dealing with the media this week.

She was one shot off the first-round lead after a 66 and was the leader in the clubhouse after second-round play was suspended.

Now, entering the final day of action in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger she is tied for the lead.

If she should win today, the 27-year-old will quickly become a veteran of postround interviews.

Rankin had five birdies and one bogey through 16 holes yesterday and was at 12-under-par when third-round play was suspended. She'll be back at 7:30 this morning to play two holes and then prepare for the final round.

"This is really a lot of fun," she said of the golf, not the interviews. "I'm giving myself good opportunities and just trying to capitalize. Patience is really important on long days like this and I think I've done that very well. I've been real patient.

"I'm looking forward to [today]. I'll just try to stick to my game plan and do the same things I've been doing all week."

Rankin is currently tied for the lead with Natalie Gulbis and Mi Hyun Kim.

She showed last yesterday that she's starting to get the hang of question-answer sessions with the media. In fact, she got off one of the best lines of the day when asked what she had learned about the course during the first three days of play.

"It drains very well," she said, smiling.