TWO-TIME MAJOR winner Lilia Vu birdied three of the last four holes to seize a two-stroke lead over England’s Charley Hull after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Ford Championship.
The 27-year-old American, who also led by two shots when the day began, fired a four-under par 68 in firm and windy conditions to stand on 18-under 198 after 54 holes at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona.
Leona Maguire is in a share of 58th place after a round of 71 to go with her earlier rounds of 70 and 70 to keep her on five-under. The Cavan woman had a mixed round which included six birdies and five bogeys.
She was on seven-under on the 13th but dropped shots in three of her last five holes to lose the ground she had gained.
Hull closed with a birdie to shoot 68 and stand on 200, putting herself in the final pairing with Vu, with Japan’s Ayaka Furue and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen sharing third on 201.
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A fifth-place pack on 202 included China’s Zhang Yahui, South Koreans Ryu Hae-ran and Kim Hyo-joo, American Allisen Corpuz and world number two Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.
A double bogey by Vu at 14 left her level with Hull for the lead, but the American birdied the next three holes to seize command.
Sixth-ranked Vu, a former world number one, seeks her sixth LPGA title and the first since last June’s Meijer Classic, her first event after a three-month absence for a still-nagging back injury.
World number 10 Hull seeks her third career LPGA triumph and first since the 2022 Volunteers of America Classic.
Hull and Vu battled for the lead much of the day, the American answering whenever challenged.
Vu birdied the par-5 second and sandwiched birdies at the fifth and par-5 seventh around her first bogey of the week at the sixth before closing the front nine with another bogey.
That opened the door for Hull, who overcame an opening bogey with birdies at the second, fifth and seventh and another at the par-5 12th to match Vu for the lead at 15-under.
Vu responded with a birdie at the par-4 11th and a four-foot birdie putt at the par-5 12th to reach 17-under and when Hull made bogey at 14, Vu’s lead was up to three shots.
But Hull answered with a birdie at 16 and when Vu made a double bogey at the 14th they were again tied for the lead.
Vu answered once more with a long birdie putt at the par-3 15th and tap-in birdies at 16 and the par-5 17th to reach 18-under and lead by three before Hull’s closing birdie.
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Two-time major winner Vu still leads in Arizona as Maguire fails to make ground
TWO-TIME MAJOR winner Lilia Vu birdied three of the last four holes to seize a two-stroke lead over England’s Charley Hull after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Ford Championship.
The 27-year-old American, who also led by two shots when the day began, fired a four-under par 68 in firm and windy conditions to stand on 18-under 198 after 54 holes at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona.
Leona Maguire is in a share of 58th place after a round of 71 to go with her earlier rounds of 70 and 70 to keep her on five-under. The Cavan woman had a mixed round which included six birdies and five bogeys.
She was on seven-under on the 13th but dropped shots in three of her last five holes to lose the ground she had gained.
Hull closed with a birdie to shoot 68 and stand on 200, putting herself in the final pairing with Vu, with Japan’s Ayaka Furue and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen sharing third on 201.
A fifth-place pack on 202 included China’s Zhang Yahui, South Koreans Ryu Hae-ran and Kim Hyo-joo, American Allisen Corpuz and world number two Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.
A double bogey by Vu at 14 left her level with Hull for the lead, but the American birdied the next three holes to seize command.
Sixth-ranked Vu, a former world number one, seeks her sixth LPGA title and the first since last June’s Meijer Classic, her first event after a three-month absence for a still-nagging back injury.
World number 10 Hull seeks her third career LPGA triumph and first since the 2022 Volunteers of America Classic.
Hull and Vu battled for the lead much of the day, the American answering whenever challenged.
Vu birdied the par-5 second and sandwiched birdies at the fifth and par-5 seventh around her first bogey of the week at the sixth before closing the front nine with another bogey.
That opened the door for Hull, who overcame an opening bogey with birdies at the second, fifth and seventh and another at the par-5 12th to match Vu for the lead at 15-under.
Vu responded with a birdie at the par-4 11th and a four-foot birdie putt at the par-5 12th to reach 17-under and when Hull made bogey at 14, Vu’s lead was up to three shots.
But Hull answered with a birdie at 16 and when Vu made a double bogey at the 14th they were again tied for the lead.
Vu answered once more with a long birdie putt at the par-3 15th and tap-in birdies at 16 and the par-5 17th to reach 18-under and lead by three before Hull’s closing birdie.
– © AFP 2025
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leona maguire LPGA Round 3