Ariya fires third straight 68 to fall 2 shots behind Inbee
World No 7 Ariya Jutanugarn still remained in contention in the LPGA Founders Cup after firing a third round 68 to trail South Korea's Park In-bee by three strokes on Saturday in Pheonix.
The 22-year-old, with five birdies against a lone bogey, carded her third successive 68 for a three day total of 12 under-par-204.
“MY iron was way better than yesterday. I just missed some tee shots. But overall it’s a good round,” said the Thai No 1 who is looking for her first title since winning the CME Group Tour Championship in November.
“When you saw the leaderboard and Inbee hit like 9-under, but I still really want to focus on my game. So don't think too much ahead.
“Tomorrow I think it's going to be the same. Just be patient with every hole. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow,” the former world no 1 said.
Park fired a nine-under par 63 to seize a one-stroke lead where Britain's 54-year-old Laura Davies chased a historic triumph.
Park, a seven-time major winner, opened with four birdies and an eagle in the first five holes and vaulted atop the leaderboard at 14-under 202.
That was one stroke ahead of Colombia's Mariajo Uribe at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona.
Davies shot a 63 for the first time since 2005 in jumping into a share of fourth with South Korea's Chella Choi on 205.
The Englishwoman would become the oldest champion in LPGA history by winning Sunday in the first event of the season on US soil.
"I'll certainly have a crack at it," Davies said. "I've given myself a chance."
The sizzling start had Park pondering the all-time LPGA record low 18-hole score of 59 fired by Sweden's Annika Sorenstam in 2001.
"For a little bit I think a 59. I got off to a really good start," Park said. "On the back nine, it was different, a little bit more boring golf."
But after the fantastic start, Park only birdied the par-4 ninth and par-5 11th until she closed her bogey-free round with a birdie at 18.
"To finish with a birdie on the back nine was a big relief," Park said. "The front nine felt great. The back nine I was hitting pretty solid but the putts didn't drop like they did on the front nine. If they did I would've had a 59."
Park, who has won nine times in 15 prior attempts when leading entering the final round, matched Davies for the day's low round.
Davies, who has not won since the 2001 Rochester Invitational, would break the oldest LPGA winner mark held by Beth Daniel, who was 46 when she won the 2003 Canadian Women's Open.
Davies, in her 32nd LPGA campaign, birdied five of the last six holes on the front nine, eagled the par-5 11th and birdied the par-5 15th and par-3 17th holes.
"I hit a lot of fairways and that gives you a chance to get relatively close to the hole," Davies said.
"I haven't been holing the putts but today I did. The no bogeys part for me is the biggest key because that is what has been letting me down.
"I know I can still play great golf. My short game is really coming around and a day like this tells me that we are really doing the right things."
Davies is struggling to walk with a sore left calf and Achilles tendon.
"It's a struggle," she said. "It's just walking. Swinging is fine. I can swing as hard as I want to. But every step is just misery."
