Lydia Ko was still turning heads - and challenging history - Saturday at the Canadian Women's Open.
The 15-year-old phenomenon took sole possession of the lead after three rounds as she shot an even-par 72 at the Vancouver Golf Club.
After sharing top spot on Friday, Ko now sits at 8-under 208 and holds a one-stroke advantage over four other golfers.
Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., the lone Canadian remaining in the field, shot a 2-under 70 and now sits at 1-over 217.
Heading into today's final round, Ko has a chance to make women's golf history. Ko, who was born in South Korea but has grown up in New Zealand, can become the youngest player ever to win this event and any other LPGA competition.
"It's good to stay at the top of the leaderboard," Ko said. "But my first goal was to make the cut and, hopefully, [finish] top-15 or something. But to be up there is an honour, especially playing against the world's best."
Ko can also become the fifth amateur to win an LPGA tournament and the first since JoAnne Carner took the Burdine's Invitation in 1969. No amateur has ever won the Canadian Open.
Lexi Thompson of the United States is the youngest LPGA Tour winner, having taken the Navistar LPGA Classic last September at 16.
Ko is already the secondyoungest golfer to win a women's pro event on any tour, behind Brooke Henderson, 14, of Smiths Falls, Ont., who won a Canadian Women's Tour event in Quebec this year. Henderson, who missed the cut here, broke Ko's record by just two days.
But the modest New Zealander was surprised by her chance to make history in sa国际传媒.
"Yeah, 15-year-olds don't lead at an LPGA event all the time. ... I'm very surprised," she said. "But I've been playing really good golf, and I've been really confident with my game."
But unlike in the first two rounds, Ko struggled at times on Saturday. She got as low as 10-under with birdies on the par-3 first hole and par-4 sixth.
However, she also bogeyed the seventh and ninth holes and then saw her four-foot par put lip out on 18 after she had stepped back from her initial approach to get a better look at her line.
"I'm definitely going to do some putting practice," she said.
Chella Choi, tied for the lead with Ko after the second round lead, struggled in with a 1-over 73, dropping into the four-way tie for second with Stacy Lewis of the U.S., who fired a sizzling 6-under 66, and South Koreans Inbee Park (70) and Jiyai Shin (69).
