NAPLES (UNITED STATES) - Rookie Jang Ha-Na and veteran Cristie Kerr shared the lead after Saturday's third round of the LPGA Tour Championship, while Lydia Ko and Park In-Bee took their fight for world number one into the final round of the season.
Ha Na Jang of South Korea plays a shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 21, 2015 in Naples, Florida
South Korean Jang shot a three-under par 69 while American Kerr fired 66 to stand level at 13-under 203, two strokes ahead of New Zealand teen Ko and American Gerina Piller.
Top-rated Ko fired a 69 while South Korea's Park shot 67 to stand on 207 with Japan's Ai Miyazato in a share of eighth, one stroke behind France's Karine Icher and Americans Brittany Lincicome and Lexi Thompson.
If Park can win the title, she would overtake Ko for the world number one ranking and capture the season points title. The two are also very close for the Player of the Year award, Vare Trophy for season low scoring average and the season money crown, those prizes as well coming down to Sunday's last round.
Kerr, seeking her 18th career title and second of the year after the Kia Classic, turned in the low round of the day after answering an opening bogey with birdies on five of the next six holes. She began the back nine with a birdie and made another at the par-5 17th to keep pace with Jang.
"I played great," Kerr said. "I had one little hiccup on the first hole. If you are going to shoot a low round you are going to be doing a lot of things well."
Jang, the 36-hole co-leader, birdied the second hole and took bogey at four but made her charge on the back nine, with birdies at 11, 12 and the par-5 14th sandwiched around a bogey at unlucky 13.
She eagled the par-5 17th but a closing bogey dropped her back level with Kerr for the top spot.
Ko's bogey-free day saw her strike on the back nine with birdies at 10, 15 and 17.
Park went two-under on the front nine and birdied two of the first three holes on the back nine before a bogey at 13. She bounced back with birdies at the par-3 16th and par-5 17th to tighten her fight with Ko.