Jin Young Ko takes charge of ANA Inspiration with 68
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Sunday 7 April 2019 21:56, UK
Jin Young Ko will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage in California.
The 23-year-old South Korean carded a four-under 68 in the third round to move to eight-under 208, although she would have been in an even stronger position but for a back-nine wobble.
Ko's compatriot In-Kyung Kim heads the chasing pack on seven under, with another South Korean Mi Hyang Lee (68) and American Danielle Kang (70) sharing third place on five under.
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Ko, who won the Founders Cup two weeks ago in Phoenix, started the day four behind Kim in joint-third place but stormed to the top of the leaderboard with six birdies over the opening 10 holes, including three on the trot from the fourth, thanks to some excellent putting in particular.
She briefly led by five shots on 10 under after birdieing the 10th and was playing flawless golf until she dunked her tee shot into the water at the par-three 14th.
That cost Ko two shots and she followed that up with a bogey at the 15th before bouncing back with a birdie at the 17th, although she missed another birdie putt at the 18th.
Kim, who led by three overnight, struggled on the front nine and bogeyed the third as she was overtaken by Ko. A double-bogey seven at the ninth then handed Ko that five-shot cushion before she reduced the deficit a little with a birdie at the 10th.
Kim parred the next seven holes, but a confident birdie at the 18th took her within one of Ko with 18 holes remaining.
Lee picked up four shots over the first 11 holes before giving three of them back at the next two, but she got back on track in style at the par-three 17th.
Hitting a hybrid off the tee, her ball landed towards the front of the green and curled in perfectly for a hole-in-one which she followed up with a birdie at the last.
Canada's Alena Sharp carded the round of the day, a five-under 67, to share fifth place on three under with South Korean Jeongeun Lee6 (71) and Australia's Katherine Kirk (74).
England's Charley Hull was only five off the pace overnight, but was unable to make another forward move as she failed to be rewarded for a number of good shots in a two-over 74, which included three birdies and five bogeys, to slip into a tie for 15th on one under.
Hull's compatriots Georgia Hall and Jodi Ewart Shadoff are both back on four over in a tie for 50th after rounds of 76 and 77 respectively.
