Lydia Ko only two shots ahead of Inbee Park in LPGA Tour finale
Saturday 21 November 2015 22:07, UK
Lydia Ko remains in pole position to claim the season-long honours after three rounds of the CME Group Tour Championship in Florida.
Ko is tied for third place on 11 under with 18 holes remaining in the LPGA Tour's season finale, but nearest challenger Inbee Park closed the gap on the New Zealand teenager to two shots.
Park and Ko are battling for the world No 1 ranking, the $1m Race to the CME Globe, the LPGA money list and a host of other awards which will all be decided after Sunday's final round at the Tiburon Golf Club.
Leading the tournament heading into the final 18 holes are America's Cristie Kerr and Ha Na Jang of Korea on 13 under.
Kerr shot a four-under 67, her third straight round in the 60s this week, on Saturday to match Jang, who closed with a bogey to give up the outright lead.
Ko made it round in 69, battling back from a slow start with a couple of late birdies, and she is tied for third place with Gerina Piller, who carded a 67.
Park continued her rise through the field with a 67, after opening 71-69, and if she continued her progress of shooting two shots better again on Sunday she would put herself in with a decent chance of overall victory.
"We both had really, really good seasons and somebody is going to become No 1 and somebody is going to become No 2," said Park.
"That's just the way it is. I'm just trying to tell myself I had a really good enough season this year. I've earned what I wanted to earn, what I wanted to achieve. The rest is just a bonus."
