Teenager Alexis Thompson shares a one-shot lead with Song-Hee Kim heading into the final day of the Avnet LPGA Classic in Mobile, Alabama.
Thompson began the day five shots behind overnight leader Sandra Gal, with Kim three ahead of her, but the 16-year-old American was in fine form to complete the course in 67 to sit proudly at the top of the leaderboard alongside Kim on seven-under.
She said afterwards: “I would say my putting was pretty good today. I dropped a few 15-footers, so that definitely helped me out.
“I came out of a few golf shots, I didn't really trust them. But my putting definitely helped.”
Thompson made back-to-back birdies at five and six to start her climb up the leaderboard, and a bogey at the eighth was immediately erased at the ninth as she made the turn at four-under.
She then reeled off three more birdies on the back nine to join Kim at the summit, with the South Korean having shot five birdies and three bogeys in a round of 70.
Thompson and Kim now lead Amy Yang (72) by one shot heading into the final day, with Maria Hjorth (67), Suzann Pettersen (71) and Karen Stupples (72) a further shot back.
Overnight leader Gal slumped to four-under through 54 holes after a nightmare third round saw the 25-year-old rack up six bogeys, with just three birdies, in a three-over round of 75 that leaves her on four-under alongside four other player.
Third-round leaders:
-7 Alexis Thompson, United States 71 71 67
-7 Song-Hee Kim, South Korea 67 72 70
-6 Amy Yang, South Korea 70 68 72
-5 Maria Hjorth, Sweden 70 74 67
-5 Suzann Pettersen, Norway 72 68 71
-5 Karen Stupples, Great Britain 68 71 72
-4 Hee Kyung Seo, South Korea 73 74 65
-4 Angela Stanford, United States 74 70 68
-4 Paige MacKenzie, United States 70 71 71
-4 Na Yeon Choi, South Korea 69 72 71
-4 Sandra Gal, Germany 70 67 75
