Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has continued her climb up the leaderboard at the Evian Championship 'Major' in France overnight Saturday (NZ time).
Starting her penultimate round placed fourth, Ko has fired a three-under 68 to put her at 12-under for the tournament and sits six shots off the lead in outright third, still a chance to make a push for the title on the final day.
After finishing with just one bogey in each of the first two rounds, Ko managed to go bogey-free, adding three birdies in a solid performance at an event she won back in 2015.
"I just got to stick to my gameplan and see," said Ko after her round. "There are so many big names, a lot of players playing well, so I think I have to focus on me and go from there."
After her record-equalling 10-under in her second round, leader Jeongeun Lee6 also shot a three-under 68 to take a five-stroke lead into the final round.
The winner of the U.S. Women's Open in 2019, Lee6 is seeking her second career LPGA title. If she holds on to win, she would join fellow South Koreans Se Ri Pak and In Gee Chun as the only LPGA players to earn their first two wins at 'majors'.
Ko had some makeable opportunities to reduce the deficit to Lee6 she couldn't convert, but was pleased with her display overall.
"I felt like I played really solid," she says. "Missed a couple short ones… I put really good strokes on it but I just misread them.
"I don't really know how many shots behind I am, but I got to focus on my game and hope for nice sunny weather tomorrow and see where that puts me at the end of the day."
Ko hasn't won a 'major' since her triumph at the ANA Inspiration in 2016 but has shown an encouraging return to form this year, winning the Lotte Championship in Hawaii in April.
Ko will tee off alongside Lee6 in the final group on Sunday night.
