Australia’s Minjee Lee will begin the ultimate spherical of the Girls’s PGA Championship with a four-shot lead as she chases a 3rd profession main title.
Lee started the third spherical three pictures off the lead, however a three-under par spherical of 69 jumped her to -6 total at Fields Ranch East as her rivals melted within the Texan warmth.
The 29-year-old from Perth, who is predicated in close by Dallas, was the one participant within the area to stay bogey free for the day to push in direction of the large $US2.4 million ($A3.7 million) prize on supply for the champion.
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Lee is one in every of simply two gamers below par for the event after 54 holes with world No.2 and in a single day chief Jeeno Thitikul her nearest rival after dropping again with a spherical of 76.
Lee was additionally one in every of simply three gamers to interrupt par within the third spherical, which included fellow Australian Grace Kim, who shot the low spherical of the day with a four-under par 68.
“I simply tried to remain affected person on the market. You’ll be able to’t get forward of your self, particularly in these circumstances,” Lee mentioned.
“It’s solely getting more durable and more durable, I believe, with the stress of a serious championship and the course calls for a lot from you.
“I attempted to remain inside myself and play the shot as greatest I may. Simply keep affected person and take it because it comes.”
LEADERBOARD: All of the scores from the Girls’s PGA Championship
The Australian opened her spherical with eight straight pars earlier than capitalising on the par 5 ninth to make a birdie earlier than the flip.
The again 9 was brutal for many because the robust winds, stifling warmth and rounds of as much as five-and-a-half hours wore down a number of contenders.
Lee remained rock stable nonetheless, making back-to-back birdies on the par 5 14th and the par 4 fifteenth to create some respiratory room.
Off the tee, Lee was mightily spectacular, hitting 11 of 14 fairways as robust gusts performed havoc with ball flights, and the agency circumstances even despatched balls that landed on the green off line.
She additionally leaned expertly on her brief recreation, routinely getting up-and-down as she hit 11 of 18 greens in regulation.
“I imply, it feels actually massive (her lead),” Lee mentioned.
“I believe clearly main Sunday is a distinct story.
“That is spherical three, so I believe, you realize, I’ve to nonetheless dig deep and put up a rating even with a four-shot lead.
“So I’m simply going to place my head down and simply work on the issues that I can do and do it to the most effective of my skill.
“So, yeah, that’s what I’m going to concentrate on.
Monday morning Australian time’s ultimate spherical will supply Lee a shot at redemption for her disappointment ultimately 12 months’s Girls’s US Open.
She held a three-shot lead on the identical stage, however an eight-over par ultimate spherical of 78 relegated her to a tie for ninth, seven pictures behind champion Yuka Saso.
Regardless of that outing, Lee is a ten-time LPGA winner and dealt with the stress of the ultimate spherical of a serious with aplomb on the 2021 Evian Championship, when she stormed residence from seven pictures again to win her first main title in a playoff.
A 12 months later, she gained once more on the Girls’s US Open, by 4 pictures after beginning the ultimate spherical with a three-shot buffer.
“I believe the feelings (are totally different when you’ve gained a serious earlier than). I do know what it takes to win and I do know form of what to really feel and what to anticipate now that I’ve two below my belt,” she mentioned.
“The expertise that I’ve had is actually going to assist me recover from the road tomorrow.”
Lee later added: “I imply, main Sunday is like no different, so no matter the place you might be I don’t suppose you’re actually ever in a cushty place till you’re holding that trophy.
“So I imply, I’ve had each experiences and I’m certain each of them will assist me tomorrow. Yeah, simply going to do my best possible.”
Kim in the meantime jumped into the highest ten at +3 along with her beautiful spherical of 68.
The 24-year-old from Sydney reeled off six birdies as she received the higher of the testing circumstances.
“I believe I undoubtedly hit much more greens right now in comparison with yesterday,” Kim mentioned.
“I believe I had very related circumstances this morning as I did yesterday afternoon, so I form of knew what I needed to do and the way low I needed to hold the ball or how nicely I needed to management the ball.
“Simply labored on the vary previous to my spherical right now simply attempting to dial that in and, yeah, it labored out nicely right now.”
Fellow Australians Karis Davidson (+9), Stephanie Kyriacou (+9), Gabriela Ruffels (+10), Hannah Inexperienced (+13) and Hira Naveed (+21) are additional down the leaderboard.