Ha Na Jang holds narrow advantage ahead of final day at Sentosa
Saturday 5 March 2016 09:18, UK
Ha Na Jang of South Korea shot a fine third round of 68 to secure a one-shot lead at the HSBC Women's Champions tournament in Singapore.
The 23-year-old is chasing her second LPGA title of the year and, for the second day in a row, she produced a bogey-free card at Sentosa Golf Club.
And Jang made birdies at the fourth, seventh, 10th and 13th to reach 12-under-par for the tournament.
"I may try and be a little more aggressive tomorrow," she said after her round.
"But I need to stay confident and comfortable. I talk to myself on every hole, and say 'keep going, don't think about it, just play golf'."
Her nearest pursuer is Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand, who knocked in six birdies in her 68 to end the third round on 11-under, one clear of the South Korean pair of Amy Yang and Mirim Lee.
Yang reeled off five birdies in her last eight holes for a 68 to power right up the leaderboard, while the overnight co-leader Lee produced a third round of 70 after recording five birdies and three bogeys.
Lee led the tournament by a stroke after the first nine holes but played the back nine in one over, missing a short birdie putt on the 18th hole to slip back into a tie for third.
"I hit a lot of bad shots today but I'm still there," she said.
No less than six players are tied for fifth at eight-under-par, four shots off the pace, and they include Norway's Suzann Pettersen, who went round in 71.
She is level with America's Stacy Lewis (68), Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson (67), Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn (66), and the Korean pair Chella Choi (68) and Na Yeon Choi (68).
World No 1 Lydia Ko shot by far her best round of the week, a 67, and she has reached four-under-par, still eight shots off the pace.
LPGA Tour Golf
