Stephanie Meadow continued her climb up the leaderboard when she shot a second successive, three-under 68 to caress the top 10 heading into the final round of the Palos Verdes Championship in California.

The Jordanstown star looked set to miss the cut after an opening 73 but back to back 68s have left her tied for 12th on four-under and just four shots behind Australia’s Hannah Green, who shot 72 to lead Lydia Ko by a shot on eight under.

On the Ladies European Tour, Olivia Mehaffey closed with a one-over 73 to tie for 20th on one-over in the Women’s NSW Open, where Sweden’s Maja Stark shot 70 to win by five shots from compatriot Johanna Gustavsson on 15-under.

The LPGA writes:

The 25-year-old opened the third round with a pair of bogeys on the first two holes and from there, the day continued to be up and down. She went bogey-eagle-bogey-birdie on holes 6 through 9 and wrapped up the day with a bogey and a birdie on the back nine to finish at +1 and -8 under for the tournament.

“I got off to a horrendous start I guess you could say,” said Green, who hit 10 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens on Saturday. “Just short-sided myself too many times today so I was actually pretty happy with the 1-over score. I hit a couple of funny wedge shots and also didn't read the lies and the wind direction so hopefully tomorrow I can do that a little bit better and like I want to do — hit more fairways and greens and less putts.”

This is Green’s second time holding the 54-hole lead on the LPGA Tour – the previous occasion saw her go on to win the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, her first Tour win and major championship title. She’s had two top-10s and one top-five this season, the latter of which came at last week’s DIO Implant LA Open. The Rolex Rankings No. 19 already has one worldwide win in 2022 that came just a few months ago in February, a four-shot victory at the TPS Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club. A victory tomorrow would end Green’s 973-day winless drought on the LPGA Tour and considering her good form as of late, she’s more than primed for the opportunity.

“I'm feeling really good,” she said. “I think I'm trusting my game a lot more than I have probably when we were in Asia. I played good but just didn't trust a couple of swings and shots. So it's nice to come here to a new golf course and create new memories. I've made some great putts and hit some great shots, so that's all I'm going to try and think about tomorrow.”

Rolex Rankings No. 3 Ko sits in solo second after a -1 performance in the third round and like Green, it was a rollercoaster day for the New Zealand native. Ko made an early double bogey on the second hole and carded a bogey to be +3 through four. She rattled off five birdies and though she bogeyed the par-3 17th late, Ko is currently one back of the lead at -7. 

“(Hannah) is obviously a great player. She also never gets so high or so low, and I always enjoy playing with her. It's going to be fun. I think you being few shots behind doesn't make you completely out of it. I think the course can be very versatile in the sense of like the tee box options and that makes holes way more difficult or like more of like a birdieable hole. I'm intrigued to see how it's going to be set up tomorrow.”

Nine players are in a tie for third at -3, including 7-time major champion Inbee Park who made a critical eagle on the 16th hole to pull herself into contention, major champions Lexi Thompson and Minjee Lee and LPGA Tour rookie Allisen Corpuz. Corpuz is coming off back-to-back top-20 performances and is excited to be in the mix heading into Sunday at a golf course she knows so well. “I’m just trying to trust my routine and keep doing the same thing,” said the University of Southern California alum. “Really trying to take this year as a learning process and not be too hard on myself. Just be happy about where I am.” 

Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion and sponsor invite Anna Davis shot a +1 72 and currently sits in a tie for 56th.

WITH A WIN

Hannah Green would notch her first victory since the 2019 Cambia Portland Classic

Green would be the seventh Australian in the Tour’s history to earn at least three wins, joining Katherine Kirk (3), Wendy Doolan (3), Minjee Lee (6), Rachel Hetherington (8), Jan Stephenson (16) and Karrie Webb (41)

Green would earn her second worldwide win of the season; she became the first woman to win a 72-hole co-ed event on a major tour after her four-shot victory at the TPS Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club in Feburary in Australia

Lydia Ko would notch her 18th career victory, joining Meg Mallon and Hollis Stacy at 24th most of all time on Tour

Ko would earn her second win of the year, making the 2022 season her first with multiple wins since 2016 

LEXI THOMPSON LURKING AT THREE BACK WITH ONE ROUND LEFT IN PALOS VERDES

Rolex Rankings No. 7 Lexi Thompson didn’t know just how good her Saturday effort at the Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America would be when she finished her third round. Thompson started the day at even par and nine shots back of overnight leader Hannah Green and needed a hot round to move up the leaderboard, a challenge she handily accepted. Lexi fired a 5-under 66 on Moving Day, going out in 31 on the front side, and hit 13 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, an impressive ball-striking performance considering the firmness of the greens at Palos Verdes Golf Club. 

“The first two days were a little bit rough with the ball-striking, but came together today,” said Thompson who, entering this week, leads the LPGA Tour in Greens in Regulation (78.1%). “Had a good range session yesterday after my round and figured out a few things. Just felt confident coming into today. I knew I had to make a lot of birdies and I knew they were going to shoot low depending on the wind so overall, taking the positives from today and hoping for the best tomorrow.”

Thompson now sits three back of Green with one round left to play at PVGC and if she can successfully chase down the final group, the win would mark Lexi’s first victory since the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic, ending a 1,057 day drought that’s seen the 27-year-old endure some heartbreaking losses on the golf course. As she looks ahead to the final round, Thompson isn’t putting any pressure on herself or her game even though that long-awaited win is just within reach.

“I just tried to keep it going and stay in the process of doing my routine on every shot and committing to my golf shots out there,” she said. “It feels great obviously, but I'm sure that they'll still shoot a few under out there. I did what I could control. I put a nice round out there so I’ll take that into tomorrow and just do what I did today and see where that takes me.”

MARINA ALEX READY TO CHASE IN FINAL DAY AT PALOS VERDES

As the wind picked up at the Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America, Marina Alex knew a challenge was ahead of her on Moving Day. After a rough bogey on her starting hole, Alex went birdie-bogey-eagle on Nos. 5-7, and ultimately finished day three with a 1-under 70 to sit at -5 in a tie for third along with eight others heading into the final round.

“[Palos Verdes Golf Club] played tough today. The greens have really firmed out I feel like,” said Alex, who hit more fairways on Saturday, 12, than she has all week, and 10 of 18 greens. “Playing in the afternoon is different. Noticed a lot of low scores out of the morning probably when it was a bit softer and less wind.”

Alex said she’s looking to capitalize more on the par-5s come the final day. Through the first three rounds, Alex is only 2-under combined on Nos. 7, 14 and 16, highlighted by Saturday’s eagle.

“Just had a really good number into the green,” said Alex. “It was just a perfect hybrid and popped like twice short of the green, just rolled in there. I had what was a marginally easy read for these greens so just got a good stroke on it and it was really good momentum in the right direction.”

Alex’s form has been trending in the right direction since the start of the season. The 31-year-old has already earned a top-five finish through seven events in 2022 at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony (T4), her best result since the 2020 ISPS Handa Australian Open where she also tied for fourth. She’s coming off an impressive tie for 10th performance at the DIO Implant LA Open, the 27th top-10 finish of her career on Tour. Three strokes of leader Hannah Green, Alex is looking to add a second LPGA Tour victory to her resume, after becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2018 Cambia Portland Classic.

“I'm excited. I feel like I'm in a good position. It's nice to be in these positions and just take every opportunity that you can get and do the best that you can with it,” said Alex. “I'm looking forward to tomorrow.”

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 19, Hannah Green (1, 67- 66-72)

• She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens, with 30 putts

• This is Green’s second time holding the 54-hole lead/co-lead; the last time she did so, she won the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

• Her 205 is her lowest 54-holes score since recording a 202 at the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand

• This is Green’s eighth season on Tour; she has two career wins including a major championship title, the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

• This is her seventh event of 2022; she’s recorded three top-10 finishes already, a tie for sixth at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, a tie for eighth at The Chevron Championship and a solo second at last week’s DIO Implant LA Open

• Entering this week, Green ranks in the top 10 on Tour in 2022 in Greens in Regulation (3, 76.16%) and Rounds in the 60s (8, 11)

• Green won the TPS Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club by four shots in Feburary in Australia; she became the first woman to win a 72-hole co-ed event on a major tour

• She is currently ranked 15th in the Race to the CME Globe

• She represented Australia in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing in a tie for fifth

• Green is an Epson Tour graduate; in 2017, she was the Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year after three victories and 12 total top-10 finishes

• As an amateur, she received the Karrie Webb Scholarship in 2015 and was a member of the Australian National Team

Rolex Rankings No. 4 Lydia Ko (2, 69-67-70)

• She hit 8 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens with 27 putts

• Ko’s 205 is her lowest 54-hole score since recording a 205 in her win at the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio

• Her second-round 67 is her lowest 18 holes since the second round of the 2022 JTBC Classic (also 67)

• This is Ko’s seventh event of 2022; her season-best result was a win at the Gainbridge LPGA, the 17th of her LPGA Tour career

• This is her ninth season on the LPGA Tour; she has notched 17 wins and two major championships in her career

• Ko is a two-time Olympian represented New Zealand; she finished 2nd in 2016 and 3rd in 2020

• Her awards include the 2014 Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year, 2015 Rolex Player of the Year and 2021 Vare Trophy

• Ko won four professional tournaments in her amateur career, including the 2012 and 2013 CP Women’s Open

• She started playing golf at the age of 5 and credits her parents as the individuals most influencing her career