ULSTER’S STEPHANIE MEADOW had a one-under round of 70 today as she finished in a tie for 34th after three rounds of the LPGA Volunteers of America Classic. China’s Lin Xiyu fired a two-under par 69 to match England’s Charley Hull for a share of the lead after Saturday’s third round.
Lin, who led Thursday after an opening 65, made three birdies against a lone bogey to join Hull on 11-under 202 through 54 holes at Old American Golf Club at The Colony, Texas.
Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn and Atthaya Thitikul and South Korea’s Ryu So-yeon were together on 205.
Lin, a 26-year-old from Guangzhou, is chasing her first LPGA title.
Her best finish was a runner-up effort in March at Thailand after losing a playoff to Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen.
Hull, 26, seeks her second LPGA triumph after capturing the 2016 Tour Championship.
Hull, two strokes ahead of Lin when the day began, sandwiched birdies at the fourth and par-5 sixth holes around a bogey at the par-3 fifth, but fell from the lead with a double bogey at the 10th.
Lin, who had grabbed the lead with birdies at the fifth, sixth and 12th holes, saw her lead trimmed when Hull birdied the 15th and Lin took her lone bogey at the par-3 16th to slide into a share of the lead with Hull.
Birdie made her sixth birdie of the day at 18 to close out a 66 and finish one off the pace.
Ko overcame a double bogey at the par-3 11th with birdies on four of the next six holes to lift herself into contention.
Leading scores after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Classic at The Colony, Texas (par 71, USA unless stated):
202 – Charley Hull (ENG) 67-64-71, Lin Xiyu (CHN) 65-68-69
203 – Celine Boutier (FRA) 68-69-66, Lydia Ko (NZL) 70-66-67
204 - Maddie Szeryk (CAN) 67-70-67
205 – Ryu So-yeon (KOR) 69-68-68, Moriya Jutanugarn (THA) 67-68-70, Atthaya Thitikul (THA) 66-67-72
206 – Kim A-lim (KOR) 71-68-67, Pornanong Phatlum (THA) 71-68-67, Lexi Thompson 67-70-69, Lindy Duncan 69-65-72
207 – An Na-rin (KOR) 71-67-69, Lizette Salas 66-72-69, Madelene Sagstrom (SWE) 69-68-70, Emily Kristine Pedersen (DEN) 68-67-72
208 – Frida Kinhult (SWE) 72-68-68, Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) 68-69-71
209 – Yin Ruoning (CHN) 76-68-65, Albane Valenzuela (SUI) 69-71-69
Others
212 – Stephanie Meadow – 71, 71, 70
