IRVING, Texas (AP) — Lexi Thompson finished a round of 3-under 68 with a birdie after a fortunate ricochet Saturday to share the third-round lead with Inbee Park in the LPGA Tour’s North Texas Shootout.
The approach by the long-hitting Thompson at the par-5 18th was a screamer well left of the hole. But the ball struck the front facing of a temporary grandstand and ricocheted onto the green, skimming just over the top of a bunker. That set up a long two-putt birdie to get to 9-under 204.
Park, the 2013 North Texas winner, had a more conventional closing birdie, hitting her approach inside a foot for a round of 69.
Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old Canadian who had the second-round lead, shot an even-par 71 to drop into a tie for third at 8 under with 40-year-old Karrie Webb (64) and Angela Stanford (67).
The 20-year-old Thompson was about 220 yards out at the 518-yard 18th when she crushed a 3-wood.
Without the assist from the section of seats, she might have been set up for only her second bogey of the day — or even worse. She burst out laughing in the fairway after watching what happened with her ball.
Webb was the youngest player on the LPGA Tour when as a 21-year-old rookie in 1996 she won four times and was the first player to win $1 million in a season. Now the Australian is competing with players even younger than that with a focus on being part of the Olympics when golf returns next year in Brazil.
After a bogey at the 416-yard par-4 14th hole for the third day in a row, Webb’s only other bogey Saturday came on her second hole when a wedge shot buried into a front bunker.
Cristie Kerr, who missed a short birdie try on her final hole, shot 69 and was tied for sixth with Hee Young Park (70) at 7 under.
Defending champion Stacy Lewis had a 66 to move into a tie for eighth place at 5 under, after starting the weekend even and tied for 47th. Lewis and 54-year-old Juli Inkster (73) were in a group of eight players five strokes off the lead.
Lydia Ko, the 18-year-old from New Zealand who is the No. 1 player in the world, shot a 70 to get even for the week. She had to make three birdies over her last eight holes Friday just to avoid missing the cut for the first time in her 51 career starts.
And Ko was right on the number for the secondary cut, among the 51 players advance to the final round at even or better. When the initial cut was made at 1 over after the second round, 70 of the original 144-player field made it.
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