SAMMAMISH, Wash. (AP) 鈥� Amy Yang shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the KPMG Women鈥檚 PGA Championship as she chases her first major victory.
Yang was at 7-under 209 at Sahalee Country Club, remaining steady around the greens on the tree-lined course that requires utmost accuracy and precision.
鈥淚 grew up watching so many great players in the past, and I saw them winning all the major championships, 鈥淵ang said. 鈥淚 dreamed about playing out here because of them. I work hard for this.
"It鈥檒l mean a lot, but we still got 18 more holes out there and that鈥檚 a lot of golf left for major championship.鈥�
The 34-year-old South Korean player has five LPGA Tour victories, the last in November in the Tour Championship.
Lauren Hartlage and Miyu Yamashita were tied for second at 5 under.
Hartlage shot her second straight 69 for the only bogey-free round of the day. The American is winless in three seasons on the LPGA Tour.
鈥淣ever been in this position before and this is something that I dreamed about growing up as a kid,鈥� Hartlage said. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 really awesome to be in this position and just kind of see how it goes and learn from every day, every round.鈥�
Yamashita, from Japan, had her second 70 in a row. She鈥檚 an 11-time winner on the Japanese tour.
鈥淚鈥檓 not thinking about much of winning,鈥� Yamashita said through a translator. 鈥淚鈥檓 just focusing on each shot.鈥�
Sarah Schmelzel, the American who shared the second-round lead with Yang, shot a 74 to drop to 4 under.
First-round leader Lexi Thompson had a 73 to drop into a tie for fifth at 3 under with Lilia Vu (68), Caroline Inglis (69), Jin Young (73) and Hinako Shibuno (73). Inglis is from Vancouver, Washington.
The 29-year-old Thompson recently announced this season will be her last playing a full schedule. Last week in Michigan, she lost in a playoff to Vu in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
鈥淭here was some tough pins out there, and of course the golf course is the golf course, so it鈥檚 tough,鈥� Thompson said.
Vu had the best round of the day with her 68.
Yang went 39 holes without a bogey before dropping a shot on the par-4 eighth. She quickly recovered, hitting it 8 feet on the par-3 ninth and making the putt to get back to 6 under and take the solo lead.
Yang pushed her lead to two strokes, hitting the green in two on the par-5 11th for a two-putt birdie. She dropped another shot on the par-4 16th 鈥� her third bogey of the tournament 鈥� but followed with a 36-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th.
___ AP golf:
Luke Olson, The Associated Press
