World No. 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan remained in position for her second straight LPGA Tour title and her third in five events this year, shooting a bogey-free three-under 69 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Kia Classic.
Tseng missed a five-foot birdie try on the par-five 17th, then saved par with an eight-foot putt on the par-four 18th to finish at 12-under 204 on La Costa’s Legends Course.
Tseng opened with a 67 for a share of the first-round lead and had a 68 on Friday to pull two strokes ahead. In her past six events with the 54-hole lead, she has won five times, the only loss coming last year in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She is 6-5 overall with the 54-hole lead.
Photo: AFP
Tseng birdied the par-four first hole and also birdied the par-five seventh and 12th.
She got a break on the 18th when her drive went right, but stayed on the cart path and crossed over a bridge, leaving her just 71 yards on the 399-yard hole. However, her second shot went past the flag and she was fortunate to two-putt for par from 45 feet.
The 23-year-old Taiwanese star won the LPGA Founders Cup the previous weekend in Phoenix for her 14th LPGA Tour title and also won the LPGA Thailand last month.
She led the tour last season with seven victories — including major victories at the LPGA Championship and Women’s British Open — and finished the year with 12 worldwide titles.
South Korea’s Shin Ji-yai was second after a 68.
South Korea’s Yoo Sun-young and Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall were seven-under. Yoo had a 67 — the best round of the day — while Hedwall missed a short par putt on the 18th to settle for a 70.
Shin had seven birdies and three bogeys. She birdied the first three holes and got within a stroke of Tseng with another birdie on No. 6. Shin bogeyed Nos. 9, 10 and 12, and rallied with birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 17.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Amy Hung continued to struggle. After a strong start with a birdie at the par-five third, she holed four bogeys and one double-bogey for a 77 and a three-round total of 10-over 226.
Additional reporting by Staff writer
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