Lydia Ko of New Zealand, seeking her third straight LPGA Tour major title, carded a 1-under-par 70 to take a one-stroke lead over Brittany Lincicome and Gerina Piller into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash.
The 19-year-old Ko has a 54-hole total of 2-under 211.
“It seems the girls are playing really well, they’re playing consistent,” said Ko, who won the Evian Championship last year and the ANA Inspiration to start the 2016 major season.
“I’ve got to focus on my game and I can’t control what the other girls are doing.”
After Ko hit a tree on the 18th hole to finish with a bogey, Lincicome, a two-tome major winner, had a chance to tie for the lead but three-putted the 18th for her own bogey and a 71.
Piller needed a 35-foot putt on 18 to match Ko, but missed it to the left. She settled for a par, another 71 and the tie with Lincicome.
All three will be in the final group Sunday for the LPGA Tour’s second major of the season.
“Feel super confident,” Lincicome said. “I feel like I’ve been playing well all year, just the scores haven’t gone my way. … But, obviously, I tee it up (on Sunday), the nerves will kind of set back in, and I’ll be super nervous again.”
Said Piller, who has never won on the LPGA Tour: “I’m more comfortable seeing my name up there. I’m more comfortable knowing I don’t have to be perfect.
“If I don’t hit the green, I know I’ve made it up and down a million times. I’ve made long putts for birdies. I’ve made par when I’ve missed fairways. I feel there’s not much worry in my golf game now.
” … I’m going to take that (aggressive) attitude from the first tee (Sunday). Take no prisoners.”
Brooke Henderson, 18, of Canada recorded a second straight 73 and was two shots behind in a tie for fourth with Amy Yang (66) of South Korea, Ariya Jutanugarn (68) of Thailand, Chella Choi (69) of South Korea, Anna Nordqvist (69) of Sweden and Mirim Lee (73) of South Korea.
Nordqvist won the ShopRite LPGA Classic last week.
Jutanugarn, seeking a record fourth straight LPGA Tour victory, said she isn’t thinking about that.
“This one’s a major, and last year I miss the cut in this one,” she said. “So I really wanted to make the cut.”
Yang’s 66 was the best round of the day and the tournament.
She started the day seven strokes behind the leaders, but recorded seven birdies and two bogeys on the difficult Sahalee course.
“I just wasn’t thinking so much,” said Yang, who has two LPGA Tour victories. “I think I tried so much, so hard to play good. I just let that go, whatever happens. I played much better than last two rounds.”
Suzann Pettersen of Norway was in third when she hit her tee shot into a fairway bunker on the 14th hole. She hit the bank with her next shot, with the ball bouncing back over her head and she had to duck to avoid it–and a penalty.
Pettersen hit into a greenside bunker with her next shot and took a bogey-5 en route to a 71 and was 1-over in a tie for 10th.
