Brooke Henderson gave herself some breathing room in her bid for a breakthrough victory.
The 17-year-old Canadian opened a five-stroke lead on Saturday in the Cambia Portland Classic, shooting a seven-under 65 at Columbia Edgewater.
“I am really happy to get it to [18-under], and hopefully tomorrow just improve on that just a little bit,” Henderson said.
She is trying to join Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson as the only players to win an LPGA Tour title before turning 18 years old.
Henderson made seven birdies in her bogey-free round. Henderson, who turns 18 years old next month, tied the tournament 54-hole record of 18-under 198 set by Taiwan’s Yani Tseng in 2013.
After shooting a 71 on Saturday, Tseng sat at six-under 230. Kaohsiung-born Candie Kung finished the third round on 11-under 205, while Taiwanese duo Min Lee and Hsu Wei-ling sat on nine-under 207 and four-under 212 respectively.
Henderson’s five-stroke margin is the largest third-round lead on the LPGA Tour this year.
Morgan Pressel of the US was second after a 65.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ontario, also had the 54-hole lead in April in California in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. She closed with a 74 and ended up finishing third.
Henderson is attempting to become the second Monday qualifier to win an LPGA Tour tournament. The only player to do so was Laurel Kean in the 2000 Rail Classic.
Henderson took a one-stroke lead into the day and increased her lead to two strokes with a birdie at the par-three second. Caroline Masson of Germany closed within a stroke with a birdie at the par-five fifth, and both players birdied the par-five seventh.
Henderson pulled away on the back nine, starting with birdies on the par-five 10th and par-four 11th. Masson bogeyed the par-five 12th, giving Henderson a four-stroke lead. Even though Pressel birdied three of her final four holes, Henderson increased her lead to five strokes with birdies at the par-four 15th and par-three 16th.
Additional reporting by Staff Writer
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