RANCHO MIRAGE - Michelle Wie fired a bogey-free four-under par 68 on Saturday to join Lexi Thompson atop the leaderboard heading into the final round of the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Thompson, the US 19-year-old who shared the overnight lead with South Korean Hall-of-Famer Pak Se-Ri, surrendered the outright lead with a three-putt bogey at the 18th, capping a third-round 69 that left her tied with Wie on 10-under par 206. They were two shots in front of veteran Pak and 18-year-old Charley Hull of England.
Pak led in the early going with three birdies in her first nine holes but fell back with three bogeys and just one birdie on her inward run.
Pak’s one-under 71 left her tied for third on 208 with Hull of England, whose 66 was the low round of the day.
Hull had six birdies in her six-under effort to thrust herself into contention in the first major championship of the LPGA season. Wie, a former teenage prodigy who competed in this tournament a decade ago as an amateur, has won two LPGA Tour titles, the most recent in 2010.
The 24-year-old is seeking a first major title, as is Thompson. Thompson shot to prominence in 2011 when as a 16-year-old she became the youngest winner of an LPGA Tour event. Although that record has since been eclipsed, Thompson has thrived, adding two more titles to her resume last year. Pak, 36, is a five-time major champion, but has never won the Kraft Nabisco.
She’ll be playing Sunday alongside Hull, who made history last year as the youngest ever Solheim Cup player when she was selected as a wildcard by European captain Liselotte Neumann for the defence of the matchplay trophy against the United States.
Scotland’s Catriona Matthew carded a 70 and American Cristie Kerr a 71 to share fifth place on 210. The were one shot in front of South Korean Chella Choi and first-round leader Feng Shanshan of China.
Choi carded a 69 and Feng posted a 72 for 211.