Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist fired a flawless six-under par 66 on Saturday to seize the lead in the Airbus LPGA Classic.
Nordqvist’s six birdies included four in a row from the second through fifth, and she drained a clutch par putt at 18 to preserve her a bogey-free round and a one-shot lead over Scotland’s Catriona Matthew.
Matthew had led after each of the first two rounds, finishing both Thursday and Friday one stroke in front of English teenager Charley Hull.
Matthew got off to a shaky start on Saturday, with three bogeys in her first five holes. She righted the ship, pulling back one stroke before the turn and making four birdies coming in to post a two-under 70 for 201.
American Stacy Lewis, the world No.2 who could supplant South Korean Park In-Bee atop the world rankings at the end of the week, had eight birdies and two bogeys in a six-under 66 that left her alone in third on 14-under 202.
“Overall, I hit it really great off the tee,” Lewis said. “I gave myself some opportunities and I was able to take advantage of some of them.”
She said she wouldn’t be focusing on her chance to rise to No.1 come Sunday. Park left the door wide open by missing the halfway cut and Lewis needs only a top-three finish to topple her.
“The goal is to win,” Lewis said. “I’m not here to finish second or third. Now it’s just going out there and trying to win a golf tournament.”
Hull, who won her first Ladies European Tour title at Morocco in March shortly before her 18th birthday, carded a third-round 71 to join Americans Michelle Wie and Jessica Korda in a tie for fourth on 203.
Wie posted a 66 and Korda carded a 69.
Katherine Kirk was the leading Australian, five shots off the pace.