LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A nervy Hannah Green may not have had her best stuff on Saturday but the 22-year-old Aussie still managed to cling to a one-shot lead at the Women’s PGA Championship.
Green shot a two-under 70 but saw her three-shot lead to begin the third round dwindle to just one with two-time major winner Ariya Jutanugarn poised to strike.
Green made three of her four birdies on the front nine but then stumbled to the finish with two bogeys in her final six holes to reach a nine-under 207 total at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
Reigning US Women’s Open champion Ariya fired a sizzling four-under 68 and was alone in second at eight-under.
Nelly Korda, who won the Australian Open in February, shot a 69 and was tied for third with fellow American Lizette Salas who shot 68.
Defending champion Park Sung-hyun, who shot a second straight 71, and Kim Sei-young, who fired a 67, were in fifth at four-under.
Green is in just her second season and a victory on Sunday would be her first on the LPGA Tour and give her a wire-to-wire win. She has never held a 54-hole lead before.
