SAMMAMISH, Wash. — Amy Yang shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship as she chases her first major victory.
Yang was at 7-under 209 at Sahalee Country Club, remaining steady around the greens on the tree-lined course that requires utmost accuracy and precision. The 34-year-old South Korean player has five LPGA Tour victories, the last in November in the Tour Championship.
Lauren Hartlage and Miyu Yamashita were tied for second.
Hartlage shot her second straight 69 for the only bogey-free round of the day. The American is winless in three seasons on the LPGA Tour.
Yamashita, from Japan, had her second 70 in a row. She’s an 11-time winner on the Japanese tour.
Sarah Schmelzel, the American who shared the second-round lead with Yang, shot a 74 to drop to 4 under.
First-round leader Lexi Thompson had a 73 to drop into a tie for fifth at 3 under with Lilia Vu (68), Caroline Inglis (69), Jin Young (73) and Hinako Shibuno (73). Inglis is from Vancouver, Washington.
The 29-year-old Thompson recently announced this season will be her last playing a full schedule. Last week in Michigan, she lost in a playoff to Vu in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Vu had the best round of the day with her 68.
Yang went 39 holes without a bogey before dropping a shot on the par-4 eighth. She quickly recovered, hitting it 8 feet on the par-3 ninth and making the putt to get back to 6 under and take the solo lead.
Yang pushed her lead to two strokes, hitting the green in two on the par-5 11th for a two-putt birdie. She dropped another shot on the par-4 16th – her third bogey of the tournament – but followed with a 36-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th.
