Amy Yang of South Korea

AFP/Lancaster, Pennsylvania

South Korea’s Amy Yang, seeking her first major golf title, fired a one-under-par 69 on Saturday to maintain a three-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis at the 70th US Women’s Open.
Yang finished on eight-under 202 at Lancaster Country Club, one stroke off the 54-hole tournament record set by American Juli Inkster in 1999. Yang and playing partner Lewis birdied three of the first six holes but struggled on the greens.
“I had a tough time getting the right speed on the green, but I’ve hit the ball great this week. I’ll take positives from there,” Yang said. “My coach and I, we have practised hard this week. I believe I can do well.”
Yang, who shared the 54-hole lead last year at Pinehurst only to lose the US Women’s Open to Michelle Wie, hopes to become the event’s sixth South Korean winner in eight years.
US veteran Lewis was second on 205 after a 69 with South Korean Chun In-Gee third on 206 and Japan’s Shiho Oyama fourth, another stroke adrift. No player has ever rallied from more than five shots down in the last round to win the US Women’s Open.
“I need to hit a few more shots. Amy didn’t give me anything out there,” Lewis said. “A low number is out there. You have got to make some putts early.”
South Korean Chella Choi, still seeking her first LPGA victory, fired the lowest third-round score in US Women’s Open history, a 64, to join a pack in fifth at 208 that includes defending champion Wie and Koreans Lee Mi-Hyang and Park In-Bee, the world number one.
Choi made six birdies on the front side for a 29, the lowest nine-hole score in US Women’s Open history, but missed a 3-foot par putt at 18 to match the tournament’s record-low round of 63 by Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson in 1994.
“I made birdie a lot, so my putting was good,” Choi said. “I think my shot is really good always, but before tournament I changed my putter so I have confidence.”
Yang followed an opening birdie with a bogey at the second. She bounced back with birdies at the fourth and par-3 sixth but took another bogey at the par-3 eighth. She birdied the par-5 13th but gave back a shot with a bogey at 14.
“I started with a good birdie but the putting was a little shaky. Pins were tricky. I had trouble,” Yang said.