LYDIA LEADS AFTER A BIRDIE BONANZA

New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko birdied five straight holes on the back nine for a seven-under 65 to take a one-shot lead on 14-under 202 after the third round of the season-opening LPGA Coates Championship (from SkySports.com).

The 17-year-old is a shot ahead of rookie Jang Ha-Na and could become the youngest male or female player ever to reach No 1 in the world rankings with a victory at the Ocala, Orlando venue today.

Ko, pictured,  has already won five LPGA Tour events with three of those coming last year.
Jang, the second-round leader, posted a one-under 71 at the Golden Ocala Golf course and is alone in second place at 13 under.
Choi Na-Yeon, another South Korean, carded a six-under 66 to jump into third place at 12-under 204.
American Stacy Lewis shot a two-under 70 for the second straight round and the world No 3 is alone in fourth at 10-under 206.
Amy Yang equalled Ko's 65 and moved into a share of fifth at nine under alongside Jessica Korda (69) and Austin Ernst (70).
Ko had a strong front nine with four birdies, but she began the back nine with back-to-back bogeys before surging to her five straight birdies and then closing with two pars.
"I was kind of shocked," Ko said of the bogeys. "But it got me fired up. I jammed my putter in the bag and said, 'You've got to start working again,' and I made good birdies on 12 to 16."
Ko, who called a one-stroke penalty on herself in the first round when her ball moved slightly while she was addressing a putt,  said she plans to manage her game in Saturday's final round and not think about what others are doing.
"There are so many great players one to four shots back and you just never know what's going to happen," she said.
"I'm just going to concentrate on my game, just stay really positive, and if somebody else shoots a much better score than I do, I can't really do much about it."

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
202 Lydia Ko (NZ) 68 69 65
203 Ha Na Jang (S Korea) 69 65 71
204 Na Yeon Choi (S Korea) 68 70 66
206 Stacy Lewis (USA) 66 70 70
207 Amy Yang (S Korea) 74 68 65, Jessica Korda (USA) 66 72 69. Austin Ernst  (USA) 67 70 70.

SELECTED SCORES
209 Azahara Munoz (Spain) 66 72 72 (T8) 

MISSED THE CUT (148 and better qualified)
149 Suzann Pettersen (Norway) 74 75
151 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 77 74 

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