Feng clings to one-stroke lead at U.S. Open

BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Shanshan Feng remains at the head of the pack after three rounds of the 72nd U.S. Women’s Open.

Feng, a native of China, sank a late birdie putt to shoot a 1-under-par 71 on Saturday over the Old Course at Trump National Golf Club for a 9-under 207 after 54 holes.

Come Sunday, the 27-year-old will be trying to win her second major championship. (She won what was then the LPGA Championship in 2012.) She’ll also be attempting to become the first Women’s Open champion in exactly 40 years to hold the lead alone after all four rounds.

Feng is being pursued by a host of challengers.

Amy Yang and amateur Hye-Jin Choi, both of South Korea, were at 8-under 208 after rounds of 70. Sung Hyun Park, a South Korean who was the 36-hole leader at this championship last year, carded a 67 and was at 6-under 210.

Mirim Lee, 2011 Women’s Open champion So Yeo Ryu and Jeongeun6 Lee, all of South Korea, are at 5-under 211.

Feng played steady golf on the par-72, 6,699-yard Old Course. Playing in front of a gallery that included President Donald Trump, Feng began her round with 17 consecutive pars, extending that stretch to 23 beginning with the 13th hole on Friday.

She failed to convert three makeable birdie chances at the 15th, 16th, and 17th before rolling in a 4-foot birdie putt at the par-5 18th, which was playing just 491 yards.

Feng pointed out that sleeping with the lead at a major championship is a new experience for her.

“Last time when I won the major I came from behind,” she said, “so I never really led during the tournament. So I did feel a little bit of pressure, but I did pretty well under the pressure and then I started to hit the ball better, closer to the hole.”

A key point in Feng’s round came at the par-5 15th when she put her second shot in a green-side bunker. She blasted out to 10 feet and missed her birdie putt but maintained her momentum.

“I didn’t hit a very good second shot,” she said, “and then I left myself like a 70-yard bunker shot, which is one of the hardest shots in golf. I just went through what I needed to do … and I really hit a great shot.

“So I think that helped, because if I messed up maybe 15 would have come up a bogey and then everything maybe would have changed after that.”

Choi, who is trying to become just the second amateur to win this championship, bogeyed her opening hole but was solid after that. Her round was highlighted by birdies at the eighth, 11th and 16th.

“I didn’t have the greatest of starts,” she said, “but I think later on I was getting a better feel at how my play was going so I think that definitely helped.”

Yang, who finished second in this event in 2012 and 2015, struggled at times on her opening nine but birdied 10 and 11 before gaining a share of the lead with a birdie at 17. Feng, who was playing just behind her, rolled in her own birdie putt.

Despite her position on the leaderboard, Yang wants to tread cautiously on Sunday.

“This course I think isn’t suited for aggressive play out there,” she said. “It’s playing very tough out there. So when you get a chance, I’ll do my best to get to it, (but) it won’t be like aggressive play.”

American Stacy Lewis made an early charge with five birdies through her first 10 holes to get within a shot of the lead at 7 under. But she took a triple bogey at the par-4 11th before closing her round with a 10 at No. 18 to wind up at 2-over 218.

NOTES: The last Women’s Open champion to lead solo wire to wire was Hollis Stacy in 1977. She is the ninth Women’s Open champion to achieve that distinction. Since then, four other winners, most recently Annika Sorenstam in 2006, have led after every round but not always alone. … Hye-Jin Choi, 17, is attempting to become the youngest Women’s Open champion in history. Inbee Park won the first of her two Women’s Open titles in 2008 at the age of 19 years, 11 months, and 18 days. … If a playoff is necessary Sunday, it will be a three-hole aggregate. … The Women’s Open was first played in 1946 under the auspices of the Women’s Professional Golf Association. The LPGA, which was officially formed at the Women’s Open in 1950, took over operation of the championship before asking the USGA to take it over in 1953. … Shanshan Feng and Choi will make up the final pairing Sunday with a 2:25 p.m. ET start.