Alison Lee, seeking her first LPGA victory, is only 18 holes from achieving it.
The 21-year-old Lee, from Valencia and UCLA, shot 4-under-par 68 to take a three-stroke lead over Brittany Lang into the final round of the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.
“I’ve been in this situation before,” said Lee, who reeled off four straight birdies after making a bogey on the third hole and had two late birdies after another bogey. “I mean, I do have a few strokes ahead of the field. I feel like there are a lot of birdies out there you can get, and a lot bogeys as well if you get in the wrong spot. So it’s still anyone’s game.
“That kind of gets me, when I make a bogey, especially through a mistake, kind of gets me a little angry, I guess, and gets me more focused. I think the bogey (at No. 3) almost helped because it kind of snapped me back into the game and got me more focused.”
Lang, a two-time LPGA Tour winner, who took the 36-hole lead with 65 in round two, managed only a 69, while In Kyung-Kim of South Korea was four strokes behind in third and Carlota Ciganda of Spain was another shot back in fourth, both after 69s.
Candie Kung of Taiwan and USC posted a 69 and was six strokes down in a tie for fifth with Cristie Kerr, who totaled 72, and Min-Sun Kim of South Korea, who had a 70.
Shanshan Feng of China carded a 68 and was seven back in a tie for eighth with South Koreans Amy Yang, who also had a 68, and Sung Hyun Park, who came in at 73.
Defending champion Lexi Thomson was eight back in a tie for 11th after a 72.
