Park Moves into Solo First at Women's PGA Championship


Defending champion Inbee Park carded a 7-under 66 to take the 54-hole lead at the KMPG Women's PGA Championship. The event, the former Wegmans LPGA Championship, is taking place at Westchester Country Club in New York.

Park, who began with rounds of 71 and 68, posted seven birdies Saturday to reach 14-under 205, two strokes in front of fellow South Korean Sei Young Kim, who had six birdies and two bogeys on the par-73 layout.

Kim, who began Saturday one stroke ahead of Park, has already won twice this year. In April she got her second career title when, after finding a water hazard with her tee shot, dramatically holed out from 154 yards for an eagle on the first playoff hole to beat Park in the Lotte Championship.

This wasn't lost on Park. "Sei Young [Kim] has been playing really well," Park said after her third round. "When I played [in the same group] with her, she's won twice. That's not really a good thing [for me] but obviously there's always a first time. Maybe I can do better tomorrow."

As for her stellar 66, the lowest mark of the day, Park added, "It was a great day for me today. Obviously the ball-striking has been really solid the past three days. And today was the best putting day yet… This definitely gives me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow, and finishing with a birdie definitely helps."

It appears to be a two-woman race as six strokes behind Park in third are Norway's Suzann Pettersen (71), Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson (71) and Aussie Karrie Webb (72).

Morgan Pressel had a 69 to move into sixth at 212, while trailing Park by eight are China's Shanshan Feng (68), American Brittany Lincicome (69) and Korea's Hyo Joo Kim (69).

No. 3-ranked Stacy Lewis shot an even-par 73 to drop into a tie for 10th at 14 with four others, including fellow American Lexi Thompson (72).

For all the scores, visit http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/kpmgwomenspgachampionship/leaderboard.