Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park will take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship after a Saturday 69 brought her to 21-under for the tournament. However, her return to No. 1 may be short lived if Stacy Lewis, who is lurking 4 shots back, can find a way to earn a come-from-behind victory tomorrow, as Lewis will be able to take over the top spot with a win.


 
“Overall, it was quite a good day,” Park said. “It was quite different situation with the wind. It was playing a lot tougher. The downwind holes, it was tough to stop the ball on the green. We have quite tough holes out there but I think I managed myself quite good.”

Park battled to her third consecutive round in the 60s thanks to four birdies, three bogeys and a key eagle on the par-5 12th.

“It was really big for me today, because I was playing good for the first few holes and then made two bogeys in a row on 7 and 8,” Park explained. “To pick up two strokes on that hole was huge. I think I’ve birdied every day on that hole and eagle today, so that hole has been a big key.”

Chasing Park down on Sunday will be a pair of the top-6 golfers in Rolex Rankings No. 2 Stacy Lewis, who had the low round of the day with a 8-under 64, and Rolex Rankings No. 6 Shanshan Feng who each sit at 17-under for the championship. 

“I was nine back starting the day, so I thought if I could cut that in half at least and give myself a chance for tomorrow, and just to get in the last group,” Lewis

said. “And obviously to play with the best player in the world, that’s what you want to do.  I love my position for tomorrow, because I think the weather is going to be a little bit more like this”

Park also echoed Lewis’ statement. ”I think it is good players playing good in the event,” Park said. “Going into the final day with such good players like Stacy and Shanshan, we’re going to have a good competition tomorrow and obviously four strokes around this golf course, it’s not impossible.”

This will mark just the second time that Park and Lewis have been paired together in the final group. The only other time the pair has played together in the last group on a Sunday was at the 2012 Evian Masters.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Candie Kung found her putting strokes today and carded a 2-under 70 for a total score of 6-under, tied for 27th. Taiwan’s top amateur Ssu-Chia Cheng, who has more than held her own against elite playing partners in the first two rounds, had a tough day with the wind and finished with a disappointing 75 to sit at T33 with an aggregate score of 5-under. Yani Tseng is one shot behind at 4-under for the tournament after shooting a 69. “I have more birdie opportunities today and I converted some of them,” said Tseng.