Salas Forges Three-Stroke Advantage in Kingsmill Championship


Lizette Salas is in a great position to nail down her first LPGA title. The 24-year-old Southern Californian fired Saturday's low round, a six-birdie 65, to take the 54-hole lead in the $1.3 million, 72-hole LPGA Tour event taking place on the River Course at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va.

Salas, who had runner-up and third-place finishes in 2013 and has a second and a third so far this season, stands at 13-under 200, three strokes ahead of South Korea's Hee Young Park, who shot 69, and five in front of New Zealander Lydia Ko (67), Australia's Katherine Kirk (68) and American Stacy Lewis (68).

After winning the North Texas LPGA Shootout two weeks ago, with a victory or runner-up finish this week No.. 2 Lewis would supplant Inbee Park - who's sitting out this week - as the top-ranked female player in the world.

Ko, ranked No. 3, would need a win in the Kingsmill Championship to replace Park atop the rankings.

Sharing sixth at 7-under are Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum (66), former No. 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan (68) and American Lexi Thompson (70).

Tied for ninth at 6-under 207 are South Korea's So Yeon Ryu and American Austin Ernst, who each carded 68s.

Defending champion and three-time Kingsmill winner Cristie Kerr dropped into a share of 19th at 3-under following a 1-over 72.

For all the scores, visit www.lpga.com.