Lilia Vu overcame a double bogey and two other bogeys to shoot a four-under-par 68 on Saturday and maintain a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Ford Championship in Chandler, Ariz.
On a windy day at Whirlwind Golf Club’s Cattail Course, Vu – who had played a pair of bogey-free rounds – bogeyed the par-3 6th hole and par-4 9th hole, then endured a double bogey on the par-4 14th hole. To her credit, however, she recovered to birdie the next three holes as she seeks her sixth win on the LPGA Tour.
“I think I didn’t think too much about that double bogey,” said Vu, who notched eight birdies in the third round and set a new 54-hole scoring record at the event with her three-day total of 198. “Obviously I was upset with it, but I know where my game is at, and that’s not going to really knock me down. My caddie actually said on the hole after, all I have to do is get you on the green, and whatever happens happens.”
England’s Charley Hull remained two shots off the field, firing a 68 despite a pair of bogeys, including one on the troublesome 14th hole. Like Vu, she also rebounded and was able to birdie two of her last three holes. Sitting at 16-under 200, she finished with six birdies on the day.
“Hit a really nice shot into I think it was the 14th hole,” said Hull, who opened her day with a bogey on the par-4 first hole. “It was about 20 feet right of the pin, but it was just a very tricky putt and then three-whacked that. But it is what it is and it ain’t what ain’t what it ain’t as players. But nice to finish with a birdie.”
Ayaka Furue of Japan (67 on Saturday) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark (69) are tied for third, three shots off the lead at 15-under 201.
Furue collected four birdies apiece on the front nine and back nine, but also a trio of bogeys on Nos. 3, 10 and 14.
Madsen also ran into trouble, though not on the 14th hole. She bogeyed back-to-back holes on the par-5 7th and par-4 8th, but regrouped after a talk with her caddie.
“Well, I tried for a very long time not to get angry, and then my caddie was like, just let it out, so I did that after 8,” Madsen said. “Then I kind of tried to reset from there.”
Five players – China’s Yahui Zhang (65 on Saturday), South Korea’s Haeran Ryu (66) and Hyo Joo Kim (67), Allisen Corpuz (67) and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul (70) are tied for fifth at 14-under 202.
Defending champion and World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who was tied for second after two rounds, faltered with a 73 — her worst round since a third-round 75 at the 2024 AIG Women’s Open. With three bogeys — including two of her last three holes — and only two birdies, she is tied for 19th at 11-under 205.
–Field Level Media
